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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 




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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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TQWNDRQW'S 

REVISED AND IMPROVED 

TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, 

OR COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE ART OF WRITING 



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Founded upon the most Simple, Comprehensive and Unerring 

Principles of representing all the Essential Elementary 

Sounds of the English Language in Stenographic 

Characters, combinable in any desired order, 

without raising the Pen. 



BY THIS METHOD THE EXACT WORDS OF A SPEAKER MAY BE RECORDED 

AND PRESERVED IN A LEGIBLE FORM, SO AS TO BE READ AT ANY 

FUTURE PERIOD WITH THE GREATEST EASE AND FACILITY. 



DESIGNED ESPFCIALLY FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS AND SELF-INSTRUCTION, 

By T. TOWNDROW, 

PROFESSIONAL REPORTER* AND TEACHER OF STENOGRAPHY. 



THE COMMON, DEFECTIVE METHOD OF EXPRESSING THE VOWELS BY MEANS OF DE- 
TACHED MARKS, IS TOTALLY IGNORED IN THIS SYSTEM J ALSO THAT OF SHAD- 
ING SOME CHARACTERS TO DISTINGUISH THEM FROM OTHERS OF THE SAME 
FORM. THE PRACTICE OF ASSIGNING DIFFERENT POSITIONS TO CHAR- 
ACTERS, t. e., ABOVE, ON and BELOW the writing line, to 

DENOTE DIFFERENT SIGNIFICATIONS OF THE SAME SIGNS, 
LIKEWISE ENTIRELY REJECTED IN THIS TREATISE. 



THE TRADE SUPPLIED BY 

CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM, 

Successor to IiJEJE, SHETABD & DILLIXCH. 

No. 678 Broadway, 
NEW YORK. 




** 



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Entered According to Act of Congress, in the Year 1886, 

By THOMAS TOWNDROW, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress', a-fWashington, D. C. 



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TO 

JULIUS ENSIGN ROCKWELL ESQ., 

AUTHOR OF 

* THE TEACHING PRACTICE AND LITERATURE OF SHORT-HAYD,' 

THIS REVISED AND IMPROVED EDITION 

OF MY 

text-book of stenography 
is most respectfully dedicated. 

Thomas Towndrow. 
mount Vernon, X. Y., May 7, 1S8G. 



PREFACE. 



The author of this system of Short Hand Writing, which he origi- 
nated fifty years ago,* is induced to place before the public a new and 
carefully revised edition of this Text Book, embracing such additions 
and improvements as have been suggested by constant study of the 
subject, practical experience as a teacher of the Art, and as a profes- 
sional reporter during a perio 1 of more than forty years. 

The author has diligently studied to render this system of Stenog. 
raphy the most simple, comprehensive and easy of acquirement, and 
when written, the manuscript shall be the most legible of any of the 
various known methods; and if anything will add to his satisfaction 
it will b3 to learn that he has succeeded in accomplishing the task, 
undertaken at the same time in exciting a greater interest for, and 
expending the knowledge of a science of such exalted utility. 

As the purchaser of this text-book may probably be led to inquire 
what are the advantages which the author claims over the numerous 
other publications that have been issued on the same subject, he will 
endeavor to point cut in as brief a manner as possible, some of the dif- 
ficulties that have been encountered by those who have acquired or 
ttemptecl to acquire proficiency in this pleasi ng and very useful ac- 
complishment, and the method he has pursued to avoid them. 

One of the impediments which has considerably retarded the prog- 
ress and success of those who have paid attention to the study of 
Short-Hand, has been the want of a sufficient quantity of exercises, 
for practice in writing, as well as from not introducing such words and 
sentences as are best suited to the different stages of advancement 
which they must necessarily go through to attain proficiency in any 
system. 

*It was first published in England in 1834, and subsequent editions were is 
sued thei o. and in the United States in 1S37, 1S39, 1S41 and 1843 



VI. PREFACE. 

Another objection attributable to the various publications designed 
for self-instruction is, that the rules and directions intended as a guide 
to the learner, are very seldom expressed in terms sufficiently clear to 
be comprehended, except by those already acquainted with the Art. 
In removing these objections, the author hopes that his efforts have 
not been altogether unsuccessful. To remedy them he has prepared 
a complete course of exercises, as practised by pupils who place 
themselves under his instructions; accompanied by such explanations 
as he has deemed necessary to render the whole easy to be understood. 
The third and greatest evil adopted in other systems of Stenogra- 
phy, Phonography, &c, is their defective method of expressing the 
vowels by detached marks. Some express the initial vowels by com- 
mencing the formation of the succeeding consonant from the position 
the vowel would occupy if written, as in the word item, the t is drawn 
from i's position. In most cases the intermediate vowels, long and 
short, being entirely omitted. 

Mr. Molineux, in his modification of Byrom's system, represents 
all the vowels by a dot, to which he assigns five distinct places; thus 
•/^\ when preceding a semi-circle, and thus j| when preceding a line as 
in • / at, * j et, • jit, .! ot, J tit, &c. In writing the word moat^ % 
the dot representing o, is made somewhat larger than that for a to 
show that it must be read first. When succeeding a consonant char- 
acter the same order is observed in denoting the vowels as in J ' ta, 
{• te,f • ti, f to, and f. tu. 

Mr. M.T. C. Gould, formerly of Philadelphia, in his abridgement 
of Taylor's system of Short-Hand, also represents all the vowels by a 
single point, thereby rendering it indispensably necessary in writing 
some words for the pen to be taken off the paper nearly as many times 
as the number of letters used in spelling the same; as may be observ- 
ed by a reference to the above work, where the following, and many 
similar examples may be found: $, ^ he-old for behold; "V cvre for 
every, &c, 

Mr. Gurney, in his alphabet, has appropriated characters to repre- 
sent the vowels, but makes use of them only when standing alone, or 
when joined to other letters at the beginning of a word ; indeed, their 
forms are such as would scarcely admit of their being introduced in any 
other situation. Mr. G. represents the vowels when in the middle or 
at the end of a word i:i the following manner : "There are six vowels," 
says he, " viz, a, e, i, o, u and y ; when they end words they are ex- 



PREFACE. Vll. 

pressed by dots differently placed, viz, a and e, even with the.top of the 
letter, i and?/, with the middle, o and u with the bottom. When the 
vowel does not end the word, it is expressed by the succeeding con- 
sonant, i. e by drawing the point of the following consonant from the 
place which the vowel would have occupied, had it been written at the 
end of a word. When two vowels come together, the first must be ex- 
pressed by a dot, and the second one by the position of the succeeding 
consonant, thus ,->./ poet; \j. _ lion;" &c. 

Several of the diffculties which arise from the practice of express- 
ing the vowels by the use of points, &c, are thus correctly exposed by 
Mr. Lewis in his work on Stenography, entitled the "Ready Writer or 
Xe Plus Ultra of Short-Hand :" 

" I have seen a few modern systems, wherein the intermediate vowels 
are discarded, and a single point only retained to express the initial, 
and final vowels : this point is directed to be placed just in the centre 
of the line, leaving it to the sagacity of the reader, to find out which of 
the vowels it is meant to represent. And moreover, the writer is di- 
rected to omit all vowels in expeditious writing, and leave it to the 
■context to supply these defects. It is evident, however, that these 
rules must tend to throw the greatest obscurity upon the writing ; and 
render it impossible to be read at a distance of time ; for by this mode 
they never can show where there is a diphthong omitted, nor give the 
letters of it, which are some times very necessary ; no technical terms, 
no names of persons, places or things can be written in it, where any 
vowels must intervene, to give the sense." 

" The only reasons lean conceive, why this method of pointing for 
the vowels has been so universally adopted, are the want of a proper in- 
vestigation of the simple marks which nature affords, or, that appar- 
ent conciseness has hitherto been taken for real brevity. Neverthe- 
less, it b obvious that those marks which seem to occupy the least 
space, are not always in reality, the shortest, or the most conducive to 
expedition. The mode of expressing the vowels therefore by means 
of points is not only an enemy to legibility, but is also calculated to 
destroy the purpose of expedition. This will appear more evident 
when we consider — 

First. That if the pen be moved to the right or to the left, from 
a dot towards a stroke, or from a stroke towards a dot, it describes a 
line, whether that line be visible or not, thus in making •{ , the pen 
describes the character ~| in writing J ••the character 1/ in forming 



Via. PREFACE. 

/Othe /^ in making \*/| the figure V^," etc. 

n Secondly. That as the motion of the pen from point to point is 
less rapid, because less direct, through the air than upon the paper it- 
self, there is as much time lost by the sudden stop and taking off the 
pen, passing over the detached space, and putting it down again, as in 
the formation of two (and of ten-times of three) characters. Thus a 
detached particle occupies as much time in writing, as if the word 
were written (by characters) at full length. It has therefore appeared 
absolutely necessary that the vowel points, so predominant in other sys. 
terns, should be entirely rejected, and another kind of substitute provided 
for them." 

It certainly appears very singular, that Mr. Lewis, after so clearly 
pointing out the defects of other systems relative to the method of ex- 
pressing the vowels, by the use of dots, commas and other detached 
marks, should himself, in a great measure, run into the very same er- 
ror; for notwithstanding his forcible remarKs on the subject, Mr. L. 
makes use of a dot, to represent the first two vowels a and e, and a 
comma to represent the fourth and fifth vowels o and u ; thus adopt- 
ing the very plan, which, to use his own words, "should be entirely 
rejected." 

Again, he says, "by this arrangement, all those difficulties and 
dislocations already mentioned, in expressing the vowels in order to 
convey the sound of the word, are avoided;" his practice, however, 
exhibits a complete contradiction', for in his specimen of the Lord's 
Prayer, he places the vowels e and o near, not joined to the consonants. 
Mr. J. G-. Cross, author of the Electric Short-Hand, in alluding to 
the same subject says "The method of writing words by a consonant 
outline with disconnected vowels, each of which must be repreented 
by its distinctive dot or dash, and placed with exquisite care in its 
proper position by the side of the consonant line, requires far more 
thought, and is more tedious than the writing of long-hand." 

"And not only because the vowels cannot be written connected 
with each other, and with consonants, but because of their being mere 
dots and dashes; no contractions which may be applied to the conson- 
ant lines are applicable to them. Hence in the more rapid styles of 
phonography the vowels are quite discarded. Again the alternate 
shade and hair-lines of the phonographies are a great embarrassment 
to rapid writing, which the reporter can surmount only by discarding 
this feature, thus rendering his writing less legible." 



PREFACK. IX. 

Mr. Cross, after thus condemning the practice of assigning three 
different positions to denote the vowels has adopted ftoe different posi- 
tions for them, thus fa "~~\fe —\ fi^, fo ^, and fu ^_ N , sa w j se *~", si ^, 

so-w,, and su w , thus. That is he draws the consonant character from 
the position that the vowel would occupy if written, a being two 
spaces above the writing line, e one space above, i on the line, o one 
space below the writing line and u two spaces below. 

Prof. Gold win Smith, in a lecture to students at Cornell Universi- 
ty, said : ' : It took me seven years to perfect myself in phonography, 
and Mr. Cross makes mention of a young man of ability who said : " I 
have written phonography three years, and can accomplish one hun- 
dred and fifty words a minute, but I cannot read it." 

Mr. Alexander II. Thompson, a professional short-hand writer and 
reporter of London, in alluding to the work of Mr. Pitman, designates 
it as "A method of so-called short-hand, containing an absurd assem- 
blage of strokes, analogous in outline, designed to represent different 
consonants by variation in thickness. That individual (Pitman) is also 
the originator of a visionary scheme for changing the orthography of 
the English language, and substituting a series of crab-shaped char- 
acters to represent it." 

Mr. Matthias Levy, short-hand writer of Chancery Lane, London, 
in speaking of Mr. Pitman's Phonographic Alphabet, says: "It 
proves to be the English language transposed. Thus the first conson- 
ant is p, the second u, third t, the fourth d, and so on." Having settled 
the alphabet, he proceeds to select his characters. " These are twelve 
in number, and the reader will be somewhat surprised to find that 
they represent twenty-one consonants. Of these twelve marks, nine 
represent eighteen consonants. This is done by making one-half of 
the eighteen thin, and the other half thick. Thus t is represented b} r 
a thin stroke, thus 1, and d by the same stroke made thicker, thus I. 
A more confused method could not well be devised. It is full of dif- 
ficulty, and must entail considerable trouble when it comes to beraad. 
* * * * The mark he uses for the consonant^ is, when drawn very 
small and written detached, made to do service for the sound of a in 
"all;" the sound of o in "ope," and oo in "food." Xot only so, but 
when this mark is thinned, it is further lugged in to serve for the sound 
of oo in "foot," and so on to distraction. 

"A downward r is transformed, by thickening it, into a w ; a 
shrivelled n becomes by such reduction a yu, a ye and a yi. Further, 



X. TREFACE. 

these three latter vowel marks (only diminished consonant forms after 
all), shall, if we make them a shade thicker, immediately squeal out 
yah, yeli, yee, yau, yo, yoo, to be answered in chorus by the mannikin 
tli, which, when dropped ill different positions, chants lustily of wall, 
well, wee; and s when significantly small, ceases to sibilate and moans 
out wau, too, woo. No wonder such a system of writing the English 
language should evoke something bordering 0:1 contempt, even on a 
moderate inspection. But these are only a few of the ludicrous, or 
humiliating, as you please, variations which Mr. Pitman pipes forth to 
his plodding pupils, before they are invited to draw near to take part 
in the principal performance." 

Mr. Gurney, the celebrated Parliamentary reporter, says that "The 
practice of placing a characterise, on or below the line, and also of 
varying it, by thickness, or length, I totally expunge, a^ it could never 
be written swiftly with any tolerable degree of precision." 

Mr. Thomas Anderson, Parliamentary reporter, Fellow of the 
Short-Hand Society of London, and formerly short-hand writer in the 
Glasgow Law Courts, in speaking of the essentials of a good system of 
short-hand in 18S2, says : There are three essentials to the formation 
of a first-rate system o f short-hand, * * * first there should be the 
distinct representation of every letter of the alphabet— the vowels and con- 
sonants alike. Second, the use of such mark] to represent the voicels as 
are capable ofbeinj written in union with the consonant*, — instead of iso- 
lated ticks." ■ ' 

" It is an evil under which all short-hand systems that proceed up- 
on the principle of omitting the vowels, or upon any other plan of dis- 
posing of the vowels than by writing them are doomed to labor." 

By the omission of vowels, mistakes, sometimes of a serious, 
sometimes of an amusing, sometimes of an amazing kind occur. 

Any one taking a long speech, according to such system, un'ess he 
can manage to put in the vowels, is sure, unless he has an extraordi- 
nary memory, to hesitate, if not to err at the staggering outlines. Ac- 
cordingly, a sentence which was spoken " the child was born in the 
street, at two o'clock," became after being phonographically meta- 
morphosed, " the child was born. ' I consider,' at two o'clock." Any 
one who knows Pitman's system, will readily understand how that "on 
the street," could be mistaken for " I consider." In another case a 
witness said : " The pursuer came to my house and spoke to me on a 
Tuesday," which was reproduced : "The pursuer came to my house 



PREFACE. XI. 

and spoke to me on the outside." In another case a party was de- 
scribed by the witness as '* running up very heated." This appeared 
in the notes as " bare-headed." Another instance is given by Mr. An- 
derson in his History of Short-Hand : " The chairman of a well-known 
railway company happened to use the phrase ' attacking the traffic of 
other companies,' which was printed as ' taking away the traffic of 
other companies.' " Remit has become remedy, condition has become 
down, plain has become complain, had you any has become <rZ<? you know 
Instances, not of what might occur, but what have occurred, as in real- 
ity did the foregoing, might be multiplied, if it were considered neces- 
sary to demonstrate that the words of a language can never be ade- 
quately described by unvo welled endeavors to depict their sounds in 
any such way. 

Mr. Dimbleby mentions, In the preface to his Dictionary, a few of 
the troubles and difficulties encountered in deciphering notes : 'I know 
nothing of fishes," says a dowager ; "I know nothing official," tran- 
scribes the phonographer. " Where his ashes repose," said Lord Bea- 
consfield on one occasion, " Where his isssue lives," transcribed the 
phonographer, but unmemoried reporter. " Your application," says 
Mr. Forster.to an Irish deputation, recently, "is based on two grounds," 
"bad grounds," wrote the reporter, the same Pitman outline standing 
for both. Now, most of this comes of the want of characters suitable 
for joining the vowels with the consonants. 

In discussing the foregoing axioms in detail, Mr. Anderson says : 
•" The first asserts the importance of the vowels. You ought, I say, to 
have such marks for them as can be formed unitedly with the conso- 
nants. The other plan, as you all know, is to dot them in, just as in 
long hand we dot our ' i.' That in many cases the vowels are of sub- 
ordinate consequence, may well enough be admitted. That gener- 
ally, however, they are of the utmost importance, can scarcely be de- 
nied. This is specially true of little words, and the exact representa- 
tion of little words is of infinite value in the reading of short-hand 
manuscript. But suppose, it is argued, that the omission of vowels 
does not greatly matter, 1 would remind you of the immense difficulty 
the learner has to face when you require him to tell from one and the 
same outline, whether any, and which, of the following words is in- 
tended: gnat, neat, knight, aunt, note, Annette, untie, naughty, unto, 
night, knout, knot, nut, net, not, unity, naught, nought, unit, and so 
forth. * * * The nearer you approach to an individual represent- 



Xli. PREFACE. 

ation for each word, the clearer does your writing become, and that it 
is always a risky thing to allow an outline which may stand for half a 
dozen words or more to pass undistinguished from the rest by some 
particular mark or another. If we write this sentence : * ; Is there any 
end of these improvements?' omitting the vowels, then from the 
writing itself there is no means of deciding whether the words a^e : 
1 Is there any need of these improvements ? ' This is only a supposed 
case of conflict. But I can give an actual example which reeently oc- 
curred. An official note taken in the Law Courts mentioned to me 
the following instance : " I," said he, "dictated to one of my assistants 
in the course of a speech, these words : ' Nature is not so kind.' Ima- 
gine my feelings when in this gentleman's transcript I read my pas- 
sage thus : 'Common sand is gone.' " This instance affords, so far, a 
justification of the accuracy of our first rule, requiring the depiction 
of vowels and consonants alike, and looked at with reference to the 
similarity of the outlines for " gone" and " kind," it may also be re- 
garded as bearing out the alternative part of that first axiom that for 
every letter of the common alphabet there ought to be a short-hand 
equivalent." 

" With reference to the fourth proposition I have advanced, which 
is, that there should be only one line of writing, or, to express the 
same thing differently, that the practice of giving to marks divers signi- 
fications by placing them on, above or below the line, is a practice 
that ought to be discarded in any good system of short-hand." 

Mr. Anderson, in an address delivered by him before his Fellow- 
Members of the London Short-Hand Society, on the subject of Short- 
hand writing, says : 

" The alphabet of a good short-hand system must include inde- 
pendent characters for the vowels, which characters must be adapted 
for writing in union with the forms for the consonants ; in other words, 
every letter of the common alphabet must have a special and distinct- 
ive short-hand mark. No distinction of letters made thick from let- 
ters made thin is admissible. There must be only one line of writing. 
The rules for abbreviation in a good system of short-hand must be 
sure, comprehensive, and few." 

To all of the above propositions, I say, Amen. 

"The confusion, the multiplicity of characters, the variety of 
sounds, all lead to one conclusion that this (Pitman's), is one of the 
most ill constructed and deficient systems ever invented. Notwith- 



PREFACE. xiii. 

standing its defect:-, thousands are said to have learned it. But we 
cannot alter our opinion, and phonography, we think, with its ambi- 
tious object is a failure. * * * We wish to speak with every re- 
spect of this system : it is used at the present day, and that is the ut- 
most that can possibly be said in its favor ; but we contend that popu- 
larity is no test of merit. ' Jim Crow ' was popular, but few will ven- 
ture to say it had any merit." 

Wilhelm Stolze, of Berlin, one of the most eminent authorities on 
short-hand has said " A system of short-hand which is to serve at the 
same time for correspondence and commerce must be precise, that is to 
say, it must perfectly render the sound of every word." 

C. P. Newton, formerly Professor of Mathematics and Stenogra- 
phy, in Norwich University, in his treatise on short-hand, truly re_ 
marks : 1st. All the simple sounds of any language should be denoted 
by the shortest and most simple marks in nature. 2d. Those marks 
which are the most easily formed, should be assigned to the sounds of 
the most frequent occurrence. 3d. The sounds most frequently com- 
bined in pronunciation should be denoted by those characters which 
are most easily joined by the pen. 4th. All the marks of which a 
word may be composed, should generally be written without taking 
off the pen." " Each character or letter of the alphabet may, when 
standing alone, represent the most common words, of which it is the 
incipient sound." 

Mr. George R. Bishop, one of the most accomplished short-hand 
writers in this country, who now fills the important position of official 
reporter of the New York Stock Exchange, and has had the honor of 
being elected President of the Law Stenographers' Association of the 
City of New York, also of the New York State Stenographers' Assooi. 
ation, in a conversation with me some time ago, remarked, that the 
system of short-hand which embodied a method of representing the 
vowel and diphthongal sounds, corresponding i i general characteris- 
tics with the consonants, and adapted in their form to be as readily 
and distinctively joined with them, would become the system of the 
future ; and as a proof of his sincerity in the matter, he has since pub- 
lished a modified outline of iconography, carrying out his views. 

I desire no better authority than that of Mr. Bishop; in fact, I 
could have none, as to the correctness and wisdom of the course I 
pursued fifty-two years ago; for it must be evident to every one who 
will reflect for a moment, in regard to the embarrassment which the 



XIV. PREFACE. 

change must have caused him in the performance of his professional 
duties; and that he would not have attempted it with a clear compre- 
hension of the consequences that would ensue, had he not been fully 
convinced of the ultimate advantages to be derived therefrom, but the 
host of individuals who have been engaged in doctoring Pitman's sys- 
tem, or in other words, trying to remedy its defects for more than 
thirty years, and still admit its various imperfections, are too deeply 
involved in a pecuniary point of view on one hand, and prejudice on 
the other to abandon and repudiate that which they have so long ad- 
vocated as the Ne Plus Ultra of Short-Hand, and which could not be 
done without destroying the value of their respective publications, and 
temporarily suspending their professional duties as teachers. 

The greatest impediment of all to the progress and ultimate suc- 
cess of pupils, has been the difficulty experienced by learners in read- 
ing their Short-Hand manuscript notes. This draw-back has undoubt- 
edly been owing to the omission of intermediate vowel, and diphthong- 
al sounds in words where they are of the utmost importance to ren- 
der them legible; for instance: st according to the practice of phonogra 
phers, would be written for sat, set, seat, sit, cite, site, sight, sot, soot, 
suit, suet and sought, twelve different words, while nt would be writ- 
ten for gnat, net, neat, nit, knit, knight, night, knot, not, note, nut, 
naught, into, unto and various other words. Sn would be written to 
express sane, seen, scene, seine, sign, scion, sine, sin ; son, soon, sun 
and so on with the rest of their manuscript. Is it then to be wondered 
at, that some queer mistakes should be made in deciphering short- 
hand manuscript, written upon such a system as Pitman's ? 

Another illustration, a very striking one of this defective method 
of expressing the vowels by position of the consonants, by detached 
marks, or by omitting them almost entirely, is given by Miss Florence 
Ellis, of Boston, in a contribution to D. Scott Browne's Monthly Pho- 
nographic Journal of December, 1884, on page 333. She says : "Did 
1 ever make mistakes ? Yes ! At one time I made an untruthful 
statement that a certain firm had stopped ' frying, ' when in reality 
the firm in question had only stopped • buying,' and were on as good 
financial footing as ever, notwithstanding my effort to overthrow them.. 
I then realized for the first time that a business firm, was as depend- 
ent upon the ' a ' and ' i ' positions of an inexperienced short hand 
writer, as upon Bradstreet's Commercial Agency." 

I claim that Pitman and other self-styled phonographers fail to 



PREFACE. XV. 

practice what they preach, that is, writing words according to their 
respective sounds, as I propose to show. For instance, some of them 
write gsM, and others Tcsht for the word exact. Some write Jcgsst and oth- 
ers hJcsst for co-exist. Some write gsth and others Jcstk for exotic. How 
nearly the examples given approximate and convey to the mind of 
those who attempt to read such manuscript, the sounds of the words 
indicated, the readers can form their own opinions. Well might the 
young man of ability, referred to by Mr. Cross elsewhere, exclaim : 
" I have written phonography three years, and can note down one 
hundred and fifty words a minute, but I cannot read them." 

When I have spoken to any of the advocates of the Pitman sys- 
tem of short-hand in regard to the imperfect manner in which they 
express a large proportion of the words they write by omitting the 
vowels (for instance they write pt for pat, pet, pit, pot, put, peat, piet, 
poet, pewit aud pout), they would reply that the context would indi- 
cate which was intended. But suppose that two or three of the pre- 
vious words, also as many of the succeedings were equally as defec- 
tively expressed, it would be rather difficult to transcribe the notes or 
even find out what the matter had reference to. Each reporter would 
then say, "I can write the vowels and diphthongs and begin to show 
how cleverly he could insert his detached representatives of the omit- 
ted vowels" but when required to draw his pen from the terminal 
point of his outline to each of the detached marks in the order he made 
them, he would almost invariably abandon the task. 

An admirable illustration of this point is to be found in Pitman's 
Phonographic Correspondent, published in August 1853, p. 115, as fol- 
lows : < /^V J) Now after writing the outline of the word, the pen has 
to be brought back from the terminal point of such outline, for the 
purpose of making the various detached marks representing the vowels. 
A score more of similar illustrations may be found in a brief chapter 
on the Origin and History of Letters in the periodical quoted. 

Another sample of Pitman's simple characters I find in the same 

specimen of correspondence, p. 116, as follows : H^~~r 

Now, as it is impossible here to give a clear illustration of the out- 
lines and detached marks of each word, let the writer, after making 
the same outlines draw his pen or pencil from the terminal point of 
each outline to and over the detached marks shown, and see what sort 
of a sign or combination of signs he has obtained, and also count the 



XVI. PREFACE. 

various motions of his pen or pencil lie has made in the formation of 
the whole, he will then discover how deceptive are the apparent brevi- 
ty and simplicity of such detached marks in denoting the vowel and 
dipthongal sounds. 

The various authors which 1 have quoted, after so forcibly ex- 
pressing their condemnation of the systems of Short-Hand devised by 
others, it seems unaccountable that they should not have produced, or 
suggested some thing more simple, and practicable, at the same time 
render the reading of the manuscript perfectly easy ; yet as far as is 
known, but few have attempted to remedy the defects alluded t >, they 
have gone along in their old beaten tracks. 

I do no i travel out of my way to carry out an idea, or piineiple, 
and spell q and x ; I find both q and x too useful, I may say too im- 
portant to be cast aside. Everybody of the most ordinaiy intellect 
when they see a sign or wagon bearing the letters xprs, know very 
well that they denote the word express; but gsprs or Jesprs displayed in 
the same situations ; would probably puzzle the observer, to arrive at 
their signification, unless he should have gone through the wak, icelt, 
woo, wau, or the yah, yeh, yau, yoo exercises. Again I think that seqr> 
does very well for secure, l-o-q shun for elocution, xpos, for expose, &c. 

A well known official reporter of this city (New York), who h id ex- 
pressed an unfavorable opinion of my system of Short Hand, on ac- 
count of a few words written in it appearing to be more complicated 
and requiring more motions of the pen than Pitman's phonography, 
met with a 3 T oung pupil of mine who had taken lessons at irregular in- 
tervals during a period of three months, and for several weeks had re- 
ceived no instruction in consequence of my own inability to give les- 
sons. Altogether, she had not received ten hours' instruction from me_ 
My friend, the disciple of Pitman, found that my young pupil could 
then write sixty words a minute ; but his surprise was the greatest, 
when she read her manuscript notes of what he had dictated, with as 
much ease, as he confessed that he was enabled to do himself after 
eighteen months' application to the study ; and the same gentleman 
subsequently, expressed tome his convictions, that my system was the 
most legible one in the world. 

Now as the phonographers are greatly dependent upon the use of 
lines, by which they determine the signification of a dot, comma or 
other mark, intended to represent a vowel, as well as by the posi- 
tion of a consonant i i relation to a line, as to what vowel precedes or 



PREFACE. XVii 

follows the consonant character so assigned to a particular position 
above, on, or oehw the line, I ask what would the reporter using Pit- 
man's system do, who is sent to note down all that is said and done at 
a public meeting held in a badly-lighted hall, and where for motives 
of policy he has to take a back seat, and where his guiding lines could 
not be seen ? 

Some of my phonographic friends may raise objections to the use 
of my natural or suggestive signs for particular words or phrases ; also 
to my modes of abbreviating many words of frequent occurrence, and 
expressing other words by the alphabetical signs with certain simple 
marks annexed, on the plea that I am introducing too many of them. 
It is true that I express about eighteen hundred words by (six) hun- 
dred signs, each expressing on an average three words of the same 
family, or in other words denote a primitive word and all its derivitives, 
as Fluctuate, fluctuated, fluctuating and fluctuation. Excommnnicate, 
excommunicated, excommunicating and excommunication, the context 
readily pointing out the word intended, so that by learning the three 
hundred simple signs with as many primitive words you have the key 
to the eighteen hundred words denoted thereby. While one teacher 
who has acquired considerable popularity as an author and instructor 
of phonography, it is understood, calls upon his pupils to study three 
thousand arbitrary signs. 

Every one who is about to engage in the stu ly of Short-Hand is 
naturally inclined to ask not only which is the best system, and most 
easily acquired, but also which is the most practical method of learning 
it. I shall therefore offer a few suggestions and hints, which cannot 
fail to be of great advantage, if they are properly considered and fol- 
lowed. 

Let it be remembered that when you are writing a letter or com- 
munication of any kinsi, ideas are dotted down, or in other words flow 
from your pen. mechanically as it were, without a thought as to the 
spelling of the common-place words used. It is only words of infrequent 
occurrence that cause you to hesitate a moment, in noting them down. 
Why is thisthecase? The questUnis easily answered. The hundreds, 
if not thousands of times that you may have written the common-place 
words which composed the principal portion of your letter or commu- 
nication, have rendered their respective fo ins so familiar that they re- 
quire no effort of the memory in their future application. 

The author, therefore, takes it for granted that every one who has 



XVlii PREFACE. 

occasion to write considerable will freely admit this fact. That being 
so, it !s reasonably claimed that it is equally the case in Short-Hand 
writing. Hence the aim of the author, when teaching the art, has 
been to direct the attention of the student to a limited number of char- 
acters or signs at a time, whether representing letters, sounds, syl- 
lables or words, with such explanatory remarks as might seem neces- 
sary, and then by requiring such a repetition of the same in exercises 
prepared or selected for the purpose, fix them so indelibly upon the 
memory, that no further instruction or study is necessary. 

Some persons may ask and very naturally so, if this system of 
Short-Hand is so much superior, and more readily acquired than any 
other, why has it not become more generally known and practiced. 
That question is easily answered as follows : On entering into a con- 
tract with a firm in New York, in 1841, to publish my Guide to Short- 
Hand, in order to protect my interest in the copyright, I bound them 
to insert in each copy, a certain check plate engraving, furnished by 
me. This condition of the contract made, they openly violated ; thus 
defrauding me of the royalty to which 1 was entitled ; therefore rath- 
er than let the firm have the satisfaction of reaping all the benefit to 
be derived from the publication of the book, I decided to abandon 
the profession of teaching Short-Hand and engage in journalistic re- 
porting, which I have since actively and successfully followed, leav- 
ing the demand for my text-book to die out, as it did. 

Believing, however, that my labor in the field of Short-Hand writ- 
ing has resulted in greatly simplifying the art and bringing its acquisi- 
tion within the reach of all persons of ordinary intelligence, at the 
same time rendering the manuscript perfectly legible at any future 
period, I naturally desire that whatever conceded merits my system 
may possess, shall be placed on record. 

Then, again, I may be allowed to state that within the last two 
years I have received numerous applications for copies of my Guide 
to the art ; also for special information and instruction in regard to 
my method of expressing the vowel and diphthongal sounds. Under 
these circumstances I have been induced to undertake a complete re- 
vision of my Text-Book, last issued in 1843, and embody therein a num- 
ber of suggestions in regard to a new application of the alphabetical 
characters as word signs, and other modes of abbreviation, which, it 
is thought, will be appreciated alike by all reporters and teachers ot 
Short-Hand. 



PREFACE. XIX 

I would here take occasion to remark that in 1826, then at the age 
of sixteen years, I learned Harding's system of Short Hand, a modifi- 
cation of Taylor's, which I practiced for my own amusement and con- 
venience, for over two years, when I was persuaded by a companion 
to take lessons with him in the sys r em invented and taught by Mr. 
James Henry Lewis, of London. His alphabetical signs appeared to 
be remarkably simple, but the change I made was a great mistake, for 
I had sacrifi :ed comparative legibility for apparent brevity. 

The adoption of a very small circle or ring to represent s, so great- 
ly reduced the number of distinctive simple characters attainable, that 
it became necessary to represent / and v by the same sign, g and j by 
by the same sign, also h and q by the same sign ; while other letters 
were represented by characters, which, when written in combination 
with some others, were liable to be mistaken, and thus occasion great 
difficulty in deciphering the manuscript. 

Then again he had no characters to represent a, e,o, and u, that 
could be combined with the consonants, while the sound of a, au, aic, 
and ou in fall, talk,taught, draw,bought and thought ; oi and oy in soil 
and toy ; oo in moon, pool, poor, &c, ou and ow in thou, now, town. &c. 
were completely ignored. 

These imperfections presented themselves so forcibly to my mind 
that in the Spring of 1833 I adopted characters to represent the vowels 
referred to, and introduced them in my Stenographic Olio, published 
by Lilly, Wait, Colman & Holden, of Boston. 

Although I had selected the best characters available for the pur- 
pose, I was far ^from being satisfied with the result, and believing 
in a more thorough reform in that direction, I cast all the old aside, 
struck a new departure in regard to the representation of the vowel 
and diphthongal sounds, by characters which can be readily combined 
with the consonants in any order desired, and thus laid the foundation 
of ray present system, which I flatter myself will compare favorably 
with any and all others which have yet been presented to the public, 
either here or elsewhere. 

To obviate the many objections and difficulties attending the 
method of expressing the vowels by means of detached marks, the 
author of this Text-Book has provided another kind of substitute : con- 
sisting of a series of simple characters, distinctive in form, and which 
are easily combined with any other letter icithout lifting the pen, and 
which not only represent the vowels and diphthongs, in any order re- 



XX. PREFACE. 

quired, but with a very few unimportant exceptions, such as the dif- 
ference between o in not and <?in nor ; or u'mbut and u'mbull; are also 
capable of conveying to the mind of the reader the exact sounds of 
wo-ds uttered by a speaker. 

There are five distinct directions in which a single straight line can 
be drawn, viz : the horizontal line drawn from left to right, thus — , the 
perpendicular line drawn down thus | ; the oblique drawn down from 

left to right thus \ \ the oblique drawn down from right to left, 

/ ; and the oblique made by an up stroke from left to right,thus / . 
These correspond in number with the vowels a, e, i, o, and u; and to 
each of the above simple lines, I prefix a very small circle or ring, and 

assign them to represent the vowels as follows : *) or f for a; °\ 

o ^ for e; °^ or *— for i; £ or «/ for o; and / or J° for u, 

then, by enlarging the size of the circle or ring, thus: ^ , p , <\, 

n^C - > >0 ,Cx jXj s&j I obtain distinctive characters to repre- 
sent the long Italian sound of a in ba, balm, calm, palm, &c, the broad 
German sound of a in fall, and hall, au in caught, and taught, aw in 
brawl, thaw, and ou in brought, thought, &c, oi in boil, boy, toil, &c.. 
and ou and ow in doubt, pout, now, town, &c. 

The following marks .— | w va< >c3 n u are commonly 
employed by the self-styled phonOgraphers to denote the vowels and 
diphthongs, in their correspondence style of writing, but are generally 
omitted in making their reports. 

Although my vowel and diphthongal characters may appear to be 
more difficult of formation and occupy more space than the detached 
marks used by Pitman and others, I claim facility of formation and 
legibility of manuscript over them all. 

As some of my professional opponents when alluding to my 
method of expressing the vowel and diphthongal sounds,have remark- 
ed, " that is all very fine," but at the same time insinuated that it would 
be impossible to report correctly the language of a public speaker by 
such a system of Short-Hand, I would state that when Dr. Dionysius 
Lardner, an eminent British writer on physical science, visited the 
United States in 1840, and during a subsequent sojourn in the city of 
New York, I was assigned by Mr. Thomas McElrath, then a partner 
of Mr. Greele} 7 " in establishing the Tribuxe, to take down a series of 



*r^ 



PREFACE. xxl 

D-. Lardner's scientific lectures from dictation, the most difficult kind 
of reportorial work, and those lectures were published in book form. 
I would also respectfully request those phonographers who disbelieve 
or affect to disbelieve that this system of Short-Hand can be success- 
fully practiced by a professional reporter ,to peruse the following com- 
plimentary acknowledgement of my abilities in that line, nearly forty 
years ago, and then refer to the New York Herald, of Sunday, June 
18th, 1848, page 2, columns 4, 5 and 6, where the result of my labors 
in reporting the address delivered by the Hon. Ashbel Smith, President 
of the Visiting Committee at the annual examination at the U. S. Mil- 
itary Academy, West Point, occupying two columns and three quar- 
ters, set solid in fine type (Nonpareil) may be found. 

T. Towndrow, Esq., 

Dear Sir :— I read your report of my address at West Point, and 
was much pleased at its accuracy. The gentlemen of the graduating 
class have asked me for a copy for publication in a pamphlet form. I 
am at Jullien's Hotel near Washington Square, where I shall be hap- 
py to see you if convenient. 

Col. Chilcls arrived at West Point this morning to preside over 
the Court Martial which is about to set there. 

Very Truly, Yours, 
New York, June 19th, 1843. Ashbel Smith. 

Having, as I believe, fairly set forth the views of many distinguish- 
ed professional Short-Hand Writers, Authors and Teachers on the 
defects of the Pitman and kindred systems of phonography, as well 
as to what they consider the " Essentials of a Good System," I would 
respectfully submit the present Text Book of my system for their 
consideration and judgment — approval or condemnation. 

Thomas Towndrow. 
Residence, Mount Vernon, Westchester Co., N. Y. 



TESTIMONIALS. 



The author begs leave to present the following Testimonials to 
:'ie favorable notice of an enlightened community. The following 
3.icomiura is from ihe pen of Andrew Hunter, A. M., late of Edin- 
burgh, where he practised the science of Stenography for upwards of 
twenty years, and who is the author of a work on the same subject. 

Manchester, March 20t h, 1837. 
Sir: 

I have had much pleasure in perusing your Complete Guidn to 
the Art of Short- Hand Writing ; it is neatly and tastefully executed ; 
your remarks on the science, are the dictates of a sound mind, result- 
ing from much experience as a teacher of the Art ; the method and 
order which you have shown in the arrangement and distribution of 
your materials, evinces in a high high degree, that you have fully un- 
derstood your subject. The characters you have chosen to represent 
the vowel and diphthongal sounds, are admirably easy to join with the 
various consonants with which they may chance to be connected, while 
at the same time they mark with such pi'ecision the direct sound of the 
words, so as to render the reading of the Stenographic manuscript 
both easy and accurate. 

In conclusion, I have no hesitation in giving it as my opinion, 
that it forms the most complete work of the kind ever presented to a 
discerning public. 

(With hearty wishes for your future success and prosperity 
I am, Sir, 
Your obedient servant.) 

ANDREW HUNTER, A. M. 

FROM THE MANCHESTER TIMES. 

"There are few persons of intelligence who are not ready to ac- 
knowledge the pleasures and advantages to be derived from the prac- 
tice of Short- Hand. We, who may iay some claim to an experimental 
knowledge of the science, can pronounce it to be one of the very best 
methods of imparting a useful versatility to the mind, and of inuring 
it to quick and correct apprehension. We recollect many occasions, 
-when iu the exercise of our duties, we have h 1 1 to atten 1 in the same 



TESTIMONIALS. -\xill 

day, and in rapid succession, to matters legal, political, scientiiic, di- 
vine, and an immensity of others too miscellaneous to be classified. 
These we have in various ways, given to the public by means of Short- 
Iland ; and can any one deny that exercise of this kind will fail to in- 
duce quickness of perception, and the power to turn the mind to suf- 
ficient objects unconscious of an effort?" 

"The questi.n then is, which Stenographic system is the best, and 
which is the shortest, and to be acquired with least trouble ? This is a 
problem we ready cannot undertake to solve ; there is no royal road 
to Short-Hand, even with the most perfect s}'stem. Byrom's is remark- 
able for beauty, legibility , and conciseness. That of Mr.Towndrow,an 
eminent teacher, seems both legible, concise, and easy to be acquired ; 
inasmuch as he reduces the science to its simplest elements, and then 
proceeds gradually. Mr. T. has an advantage over every other sys- 
tem we have yet seen, in the precision and certainty with which the 
different sounds are noted ; and in the hands of a good writer we 
think this system may be rendered as beautiful to the eye as any we 
are acquainted with, and altogether, as Stenographers, we may safely 
recommend it to the public." 

DERBYSHIRE COURIER. 

A neat little volume, professing to be a complete guide to the Art 
of writing Short-Hand, or an entirely new and comprehensive system 
of representing the elementary sounds of the English language in 
Stenographic characters, has been published by Mr. Tovvndrow, Pro- 
fessor and Teacher of the Art. The principal feature of this treatise 
is its originality ii giving distinct characters to express the various 
tones of our native tongue, and from the high degree of, conciseness 
with which this object is accomplished, and its perfect and easy amal- 
gamation with the other parts of the system. The operation of writ- 
ing is advantageously condensed, and an increased facility afforded of 
committing to paper the eloquence of the orator. The system is ex- 
ceedingly shnoiiiled in its details, capable of being acquired with com- 
paratively little application, and in practice will, we believe, be found 
to work well. It is decidedly superior to all system of Stenography 
with which we are at present acquainted. 

SHEFFIELD IRIS . 

We have given the system of Stenography invented and recently 
introduced into this country by Mr. Towndrow, an attentive examin- 
ation, and we feel fully convinced of the many improvement- he has 



XXIV TESTIMONIALS. 

made on all former systems which have come under our notice. Mr. 
Towndrow, in his present method, has appropriated a distinct charac- 
ter to represent each elementary sound of the English language, by 
the use of which, any word, no matter what number of vowel or diph- 
thongal sounds it may contain, can be clearly expressed in Short-Hand, 
without having occasion to raise the pen from the paper, which could 
not be done in the generality of systems without having to lift the 
pen several times in order to supply a number of dots representing 
the vowels, which is well known to form one of the greatest impedi- 
ments to quick writing, while upon others we have some knowledge 
of, it would be impossible to convey the same words to paper so as to 
be recognized at a future period. 

MANCHESTER COURIER. 

We have examined with some attention the system of Stenogra" 
phy invented and taught by Mr. Towndrow, and we are of the opinion 
that it will be found eminently serviceable to those who wish to study 
the Art. In some points it is superior to any system that we have seen # 

BOSTON MORNING POST. 

Mr. Towndrow's system cf Stenography is the most perfect one 
ever invented, and he is one of the most agreeable and gentlemanly in- 
structors that ever taught abbreviations. 

BOSTON MORNING NEWS. 

We do not know how it is with other folks ; but for oureelf ther e 
is no greater satisfaction to be found in the whole range of literary 
pleasures, than to be able to take down a speech as it falls warm from 
the lips of an extemporaneous speaker. It is then that the peculiar- 
ities of the individual slip out unperceived by the orator himself, and 
are probably forgotten by the majority of his audience. The science 
of Stenography obviates the latter misfortune. It gives us the por- 
trait of the speaker's mind exactly as it is — the glowing thought, the 
impassioned apostrophe; the sudden transitions are caught and faith- 
fully represented by this divine science, before they have had time 
to cool and degenerate kito common-place diction beneath the hand 
of the exhausted orator who prepares his speech for the press. Sten- 
ography has power to represent the speaker's mind just as it looked 
while he was delivering his discourse — it lets us into his heart by a 
direct road. We regret that oxx limits will not permit us to do f uU 



TESTIMONIALS XXV 

justice to this very interesting subject, but we know of one who is 
able to achieve what we are incompetent to do. We allude to Mr* 
Towndrow who lias given us such information with respect to his 
present system as renders it mathematically certain to our mind, that 
it is superior to any other known. The elementary sounds are repre- 
sented by the simplest signs — an improvement never before attempted 
— and a number of words may be connected with the greatest facil- 
ity ; and the whole read with ease. This last crowns the whole as 
every stenographer must be aware. For further information we refer 
the reader to Mr. Towndrow himself, whose patience in explaining 
his system, and whose urbanity and pleasing manners, render him 
one of the most agreeable as well as able teachers we have ever seen. 

BOSTON AMERICAN TRAVELLER. 

We welcome the return to this country of Mr. Towndrow, the 
accomplished Professor of Stenography, and author of a celebrated 
Guide to the Art of Short-Hand Writing. A new edition of his trea- 
tise was lately published in England and a portion of it received here. 
The improvements he has made in the system, are well worthy the 
attention of the student, and give the stamp of pre-eminence to his work. 

ZION'S HERALD, OF BOSTON. 

A fine opportunity is now presented to youn°: persons in this city, 
by the return of Mr. Towndrow from England, to acquire the useful 
accomplishment of Short-Hand Writing. We became acquainted 
with this gentleman upon his first visit to this country, and from the 
success which attended his instructions then given, we have the ut- 
most confidence in his ability to teach stenography, and the superior 
advantages of his improved syst mi. This system enables the reporter, 
not only to record the exact words as delivered by any public speaker, 
but also every peculiar expression made use of by him, as pronounced, 
and to preserve all in a legible form, so as to be read at any future 
period, with the greatest ease and facility. 

BOSTON MERCHANTILE JOURNAL. 

T. Towndrow, who U well known for his success in teaching the 
art of writing Short-Hand, has just put forth the second edition of a 
book entitled, " A complete Guide to the Art of Short-Hand Writing, 
being an entirely new and comprehensive system of representing the 
elementary sounds of the English language in stenographic cliarac- 



XXVI TESTIMONIALS. 

ters." Mr. Towndrow's system has met with approbation of persons 
versed in the art, and is probabiy the most perfect mode of Short- 
Hand writing extant. To those who wish to become adepts in this 
valuable accomplishment, we recommend Mr. Towndrow's book — 
this, with a due share of patience and perseverance, will soon qualify 
one to exercise this accomplishment with great facility. 

BOSTON ATLAS. 

Mr. Towndrow : professor and teacher of stenography, has just 
introduced to the notice of the American public, a new system of writ- 
ing Short-Hand. We know something of the art, and having attentive- 
ly examined Mr. T's method, can say that it possesses many advan- 
tages over any other we have seen. It is simple, neat and beautiful- 
giving the exact sound of all the vowels and diphthongs in the lan- 
guage, without obliging the writing to lift his pen, even when taking 
down the longest word. Mr. T., we are glad to learn, is well encour- 
aged. 

BOSTON DAILY EVENING TRANSCRIPT. 

Mr. Towndrow ii the most ready Stenographer, and the best in- 
structor of the art in the United States. 

BALTIMORE DAILY GAZETTE. 

We have lately had an interview with an eminent teacher of Ste- 
nography now in this city — Mr. Towndrow, of whose merits we have 
seen the most flattering testimonials in the Boston papers, some time 
before his arrival among us. From a long conversation with Mr. T., 
and an attentive examination of several works on the art of Stenogra- 
phy, which he has published, we feel fully justified in recommending 
him to the favorable notice of the public. His system is undoubtedly 
a very great improvement upon all which have preceded it, and has 
been the result of a long and assiduous practice of his profession. In 
a country like ours, where legislative bodies are so numerous,and where 
conventions and public meetings are held, and addresses delivered on 
all occasions, it would seem almost unnecessary to dwell on the ad- 
vantages of a knowledge of Stenography — but the art has been,hither- 
to, but little cultivated. We can imagine no other cause for this neg- 
lect, than the tediousness and insufficiency of the old systems of Short- 
Haiid, a theoretical knowledge of which, however accurate, led to no 
advantages in practice corresponding to the labor of acquiring it. '" 



TESTIMONIALS. XXVil 

We are informed that some of the most distinguished reporters of 
speeches in our country, owe their proficiency, like Mr. Towndrow^ 
to the expedients which their own experience has suggested to them, 
independent of the knowledge to be obtained in any treatise heretofore 
published. But we think that little more than a glance at the system 
of Mr. T. will be sufficient to convince any one that he can accom- 
plish all that he promises. We have no doubt that his mode of teach- 
ing will be speedily adopted in schools, and Stenography made a branch 
of common education. 

FROM A CLASS IN FALL RIVER. 

Fall River, Mass., May 29th, 1840. 
Mr. Toyvndrow, 

Dear Sir. — The undersigned, members of 3 r our Stenographic 
Class, upon the completion of their studies, tender to you their sincere 
thanks for the promptness, attention and assiduity with which you 
have performed j'our duties as our instructor. The common difficul- 
ties which accompany all attempts to instruct pupils in anything of 
which they are entirely ignorant, was in our case attended with anoth- 
er, the total ignorance of each other by teacher and pupils. But from 
your affability to us, we forgot that our acquaintance was of short 
duration, and this feeling, no doubt, contributed to assist us in our 
studies very materially. 

We are going to part from each other ; we may never meet you 
again, collectively or individually ; but our good wishes go with you. 
And whether such pleasure be in store for us or not, we hope that each 
of us, tutor and pupil, may so incline to the path of virtue, that we 
may meet if not here, in that world to which that path eternally leads. 
We are dear sir, 

Yours, very respectfully, 

Signed by 12 Students, 
united states gazette. 

We have had an interview with Mr. Towndrow, the author of a 
small book entitled "A Complete Guide to the Art of Writing Short- 
Hand, being an entirely new and comprehensive System of Represent- 
ing the Elementary Sounds of the English Language in Stenographic 
Characters." Of this work, we may say as of most other treatises on 
Stenography, that it aims to advance a much neglected art, but, in our 



XXVlll TESTIMONIALS. 

opinion, Mr. Towndrow has accomplished a real and valuable object 
in the introduction of all vowel and diphthongal sounds, without the 
multiplication of characters, and in such a manner that those who are 
acquainted with the system may at any time read the stenography of 
others. 

We wish that the trustees of our colleges and high schools would 
introduce stenography among the regular pursuits of the classes, and 
have it so cultivated that each pupil should be able to read the writing 
of the others. 

BOSTON TRANSCRIPT. 

Mr. Towndrow has given us such information with respect to his 
present system of Short-Hand, as renders it mathematically certain to 
our mind that it is superior to any other known. The elementary 
sounds are represented by the simplest signs — an Improvement never 
before attempted, and the writing can be read with ease. This last 
crowns the whole, as every Stenographer must be aware. 

BOSTON GAZETTE. 

We have taken the opinion of those who are greater proficients in 
Short-Hand than ourselves, and they tell us that Mr. Towndrow's sys- 
tem is based upon principles at once simple and comprehensive, and 
that it embodies all that is necessary to render any one a ready and 
■complete Stenographer. 

FROM MR. ABNER KNEELAND, OF BOSTON. 

Towndrow's Guide to Short-Hand, has been recently put into my 
hands, and for the time I have had to examine it, and so far as I am 
capable of judging, I think it is the most perfect system of the kind I 
have ever seen. 

SHEFFIELD FIGARO. 

From a long conversation with Mr. Towndrow, and an attentive 
perusal of his Complete Guide to Short-Hand, we feel justified in rec- 
ommending it to the favorable notice of the public. In his system of 
Stenography, the method of expressing the vowels by means of dots 
which render the reading of stenography so very difficult, is entirely 
obviated, having substituted for them characters which may be easily 
introduced in any part of the word without lifting the pen. The theory 
of sounds has never to our knowledge been so much acted upon a? in 
Mr. Towndrow's work, and certainly never so simply. 



Opinions on the Utility of Short-Hand. 

" I should exhort all young men to learn that most useful art, 
Short-Hand Writing, an art which I believe will one day be studied 
as universally as common writing, and which will abridge the labor 
of penmanship to a degree that will materially quicken the intercourse 
of human thought." T. Campbell, Esq. 

Late Lord Rector of Glasgow University. 

"" As it is usual to take notes, the attainment of Short-Hand will 
give such a facility to your labors as to enable you to follow the most 
rapid speakers with certainty and precision." 

Letter from the late Mr. Dunning, to a Student in the Temple. 



" The Art of Short-Hand, on account of its great and general 
utility, merits a much higher rank among the arts than is commonly 
allotted to it; and is by no means unworthy the attention and study 
of men of science and genius." — Dr. Johnson. 

The Rt. Hon. the Earl of Morton, President of the Royal Society ; 
the Lord Chancellor Pratt ; His Grace the Duke of Queensburg ; and 
Dr. John Taylor, Chancellor of Lincoln, after receiving instructions 
from Dr. Byrom, observe : "were the public so far acquainted with 
the usefulness of this Art that it should be commonly received in their 
intercourse with each other, taught early to youth, and practiced by 
them when they became to be men of letters and business, the despatch 
arising from it, and every other advantage, would increase in propor- 
tion to its more general reception." 

It is my conviction that the present rapid increase in knowledge 
of ar.ts and sciences demands an increase also in facility of expressing 
and communicating thought ; and that before long, this art will be- 
come extensivel} 7- practiced, and highly beneficial to the clergy, the 
lawyer, the physician, student, mechanic and merchant ; the process 
of acquisition being more an amusement than a labor. 

W. H. Beecher. 



What Application Will Do. 

Before entering upon the exercises of this interesting study, the 
Author wishes the Student to peruse the following lines on "Applica- 
tion," from the pen of the late Rev. Samuel Davenport, of ITorsley, 
Derbyshire, England. 

" It is incredible how much may be done by diligence and assidu- 
ity. The present state of the world, enlightened by arts and sciences, 
is a living proof, that difficulties, seemingly insuperable, and under- 
takings imagined to be impossible, may be accomplished. This con- 
sideration ought to be no mean spur to industry and application. We 
are not acquainted with the strength of our own minds till we exer- 
cise them, nor to what length our abilities will carry us, till we put 
them to the trial Men who want resolutinn, often desist from enter- 
prises, when they have more than half effected their purpose : — They 
are discouraged by difficulties and disappointments, which ought rath- 
er to excite their ardor, and redouble the vigor of their efforts to suc- 
ceed Let any one consider with attention the structure of a common 
engine to raise water. Let him observe the intricacy of the machin- 
ery, and behold in what vast quantities one of the heaviest elements 
is forced out of its course ; and then reflect how many experiments 
must have been tried in vain, how many obstacles must have been 
overcome, before a frame of such wonderful variety in its parts, could 
have been put together ; after which, let him pursue his own enter- 
prises, not without hopes of success in the end, while he supports the 
spirit of industry by considering how much may be done by patience 
and ingenuity." 



The Advantages of Having a Teacher. 

Although this Text Book contai is all the instruction that is neces- 
sary to impart a thorough knowledge of Short-Hand, much time can be 
saved i:> its acquisition by the assistance which a competent teacher 
can render. In fact a teacher may be considered in the light of a guide- 
post to a person traveling in a strange section of country. When he 
comes to a point where there are divergent roads, and no guide-post 
to aid him in determining him by which he ought to proceed on his 
journey, the traveler slackens his pace and moves forward In doubt 
and uncertainty as to whether he is on the right or wrong track ; 
whereas the presence of a guide-post at the proper place would have 
removed all his doubts, and encouraged him to put forth all his ener- 
gies in reducing the distance before him, with the full consciousness 
that he is on the right road to his destination. Just so it is with a stu- 
dent under the guidance of a competent teacher ; he pursues his study 
with the full assurance that whatever he does, is done correctly — that 
he is making no mistakes, and will not have to take a back-track, and 
try to undo that which he may have previously done. 

Another point — a very important one, gained by having a teacher, 
is that of saving time in acquiring the Art. 

On the supposition that a majority of those who commence the 
study, contemplate putting their knowledge to practical and remuner- 
ative account as soon as possible, the saving of one, two, or three 
months' time will enable them to obtain just so many months' com-- 
pensation for their services in any position they may secure, the: eby 
more than offsetting the cost of instruction, besides rendering the task 
oT acquisition easier and pleasanter. 



MISS GRACIE E. TOWNDROW, 

Seventh Avenue, between First & Second Sts-» 

MOUNT VERNON, N. Y., 

Most respectfully offers her services as an Instructor in this ; 
her father's original system of Short-Hand. 

Instead of teaching by classes, composed of pupils in 
various stages of advancement ; where the diligent student is 
retarded in the acquisition of the Art, by the less progressive 
one, she devotes her personal attention to each pupil at separ- 
ate hours, and thus insures the best results attainable by them 
respectively. 

Reference given to those who have placed themselves 
under her in instruction in regard to her method of teaching 
and their own proficiency. Terms $10 for a complete course 
of lessons. 



TOWNDROW'S 

For catalogues, indexes, reference notes, records of current 
events, etc., where additions, changes and classification are 
desired. No limit of time embraced, space required, or num- 
ber of subjects introduced. Manufactured in any form, size 
or style, by the Inventor and Original Patentee. 

T. TOWNDROW, 

MOUNT VERNON, WESTCHESTER CO., N. Y. 

File Covers, for letters, pamphlets, printed forms of real es- 
tate agents, &c, made upon same principle. 



TO THE LEARNER. 



As the perusal of a particular remark may frequently simplify 
the mode of expressing certain words, it has been deemed expedient; 
to number each distinct character, observation, rule, &c, in regular 
order without any regard to classification, so that reference may be 
most conveniently made to th^ same. 

With a very large proportion of learners there is an unfortunate 
perverseness to finish a letter or word with a sort of flirting or flourish- 
ing movement of the pen, which completely destroys their shape and 
renders it extremely difficult to read them. Avoid all carelessness in 
the formation of your characters, if you wish to succeed as a Short- 
Hand writer. 

In the present system of Short-Hand it is unnecessary to use ruled 
paper, although no objection can be made to its use ; and the majority 
of learners, and even experts will doubtless greatly prefer it. 

Another advantage possessed by this system is that it is unnecessary 
to shade certain signs, in order to distinguish them from others of the 
same form and size, nor is it necessary to vary the position of charac- 
ters to designate a preceding or following vowel or signification, that 
is, to commence the formation of a consonant character one or two 
spaces above the line, on the line or one or two spaces below the real 
or imaginary writing line ; my rule being simply to allow the lowest 
point of single signs and the principal portion of a word composed of 
more than one alphabetical sign to stand upon the real or imaginary 
writing line. 



Materials for Writing. 

1. The learner is recommended to use a drawing pencil of good 
quality and medium hardness, or a pliable gold pen, with fountain at- 
tachment ; and even when preferring to write with a pen, the student 
will find it advisable to prepare for any emergency, by providing him- 
self with five or six pencils with their points ready for use, in a prop- 
er case, which can be obtained at almost any stationery store, as an 
accident may occur to the pen, or the points of one or two pencils may 
break at an inopportune moment. 



34 TOWNDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 

2. Whether writing with a pen or pencil, paper having a smooth 
service, but not too highly glazed or sized, ought to be selected. The 
use of rough paper soon wears out the point of the most valuable pen, 
and it is impossible to long retain a line point to any pencil when 
writing upon rough paper, consequently the strokes are made larger 
and thicker than they ought to be, which not only inpedes the process 
of rapid writing, but leads to a habit of forming the characters in a 
careless manner, and thereby naturally impairs the legibility of the 
manuscript. 

3. In purchasing note books, see that they are cf convenient size 
to be put in and taken out of the pocket, and not exceeding half an 
inch in thickness. Also observe that they will open freely to the back. 

DIRECTIONS FOR HOLDING THE PEN OR PENCIL. 

4. Let the end of the long finger be placed about half or three 
quarters of an inch from tfie point of the pen or pencil, and the end of 
the thumb opposite that of the forefinger — thus holding it much more 
erect than is usual in common writing, so that it may be moved in any 
direction with ease and facility. 



About Learning the Consonants, &c. 



5. The student should, first of all, acquire a familiar knowledge of 
the characters representing the Consonants, and a few Double Conso- 
nants used in this system of Short-Hand ; so as to make them correct- 
ly as to their respective forms and sizes, also with the utmost degree 
of facility. This can be most readily accomplished by writing them 
repeatedly, both in alphabetical order, and as classified according to 
their relative similarity of form, &c, at the same time impressing 
upon the mind the names and form of each. 

6. The learner must not be too anxious to write expeditiously at 
first ; or he will be sure to make "more haste than good speed." Let 
his first aim be to form the characters with neatness and accuracy; and 
expedition cannot fail to ensue ; as Mr. Molineux correctly observes — 

" Learn to write well, all other graces, 
Will soon fill up tneir proper places." 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SHORT-HAND. 



How the Consonants are Represented. 



7. The Consonants and Double Consonants used in this system of 
Short-Hand are represented as follows: B. (_ ; D. / ; F. C or V', G. 
c_; H.'^Xor \J; J. c~ ; K. C^ or <^ ; L. }; M. r^; N. ^ j F. 

\; Q. 7; R.^; S. | ; T. — - Y. C or 5 , W. <T\ or e-x ; X. 

*\ or <\ ; Y. 7; Z. A Ch. i/; Sh. / or X ; Th. ; 

wh. p. 

8. C. except as the initial letter of a name, is rejected in this sys- 
tem, as it is also in almost all others ; and substituted by iTor S, ac- 
cording to its hard or soft sound. See exposition of G. -E'and S, on 
subsequent pages. 

9. Always commence with the curve or hook in forming g. j. g. r. 
x. y. z. ch. and wh. The curve or hook of the r character is omitted 
however, when joined with other letters, making a simple oblique line 
up, as in V. pr, /\. rp, &c. 

10. F, h, Jo, v, w, x and sh, are each represented by two distinct 
characters, in order that they may be more readily combined with 
other letters than they would be if confined to either form, writing mh 

thus OTS , rh thus ^ , &c. 

11. The Double consonants, ch, sh, th and wh, being of frequent 
occurrence, special characters have been assigned to represent them. 

12. The learner desiring further information respecting any of the 
letters or signs, will probably obtain it by referring to an exposition 
of the same ; for which consult the Index. 

13. The foregoing consonant signs may be classified as follows : 



Th. 



S. | ; D. /; P,\; Sh. S or X ; G. 



J. c-j Q. 7; Wh. f • X. \ or ^ ; Y. 'S ; Z. /> ; Ch. S ; R. /; 

B. Cj L.} j M. ^- N. ^; H. ^n or KJ ; F. C or 3; K. ^ 
V. V or °) ; W. <T\ or Is. 



or <is 



36 TOWNDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STEXOGRAJPHY, OR 

Directions for Joining the Characters. 



14. When the learner has become so far acquainted with the Steno- 
graphic characters, as to write them with ease and facility, he may- 
learn the method of joining them together, in the neatest and quick- 
est possible manner. 

15. In joining Short- Hand characters together, the first is general- 
ly made as if no other was to be written, and the next (without lifting 
the pen) from the last point of the first, as if it had not been there ; 
for instance, in order to join the letters n s t, together, first make the 
semi-circle for n, \j ; then without taking off the pen, draw down the 
s from the last part of the n, thus ^i , ns, to which add the short hori- 
zontal line for t, thus H— . , nst, and so on in like manner with nearly 
all the rest. 

1G. All unnecessary curves and angles must b j avoided • one let- 
ter being made to run into another as much as possible : for instance, 
where two reverse semi-circles occur together, neither of them need 
to be made complete, but a small portion must be cut off each, as in 

the following examples : r\) mn, \^*\ nm, ^O^ bnk, &c. In the 
same manner, all letters lose a portion when preceding any character 
which commences with a loop or ring ; by which means a great sav- 
ing of time is effected, and a general uniformity is preserved in the 
writing. 

17. Let all the characters that are used in expressing a word be 
joined together without raising the pen, except when d,p, s or t, occurs 
twice in immediate succession. See exposition of tnose letters. 



Mode of Spelling. 

17. In writing Short-Hand, no particular regard need be paid to 
the usual method of spelling. Use such characters only in writing a 
word, as may be indispensably necessary to give the sound thereof ; 
all silent letters will then be omitted, and one letter frequently sub- 
stituted for another. 

19. As examples in spelling will doubtless do more to initiate the 
learner into the method he must necessarily pursue in the practice of 
Stenography, than numerous rules and exceptions, upward of one 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITIXG- SHORT-HAND . 61 

thousand have been selected, and arranged in subsequent Exercises, 
embracing the various combinations of letters, to which are annexed 
all the words they respectively express. 

20. The following extract of a letter written by Major Jack Down- 
ing, to his old friend, Mr. D wight, of the New York Advertiser, not- 
withstanding the singularity of the production, furnishes (in the word 
Asia,] an admirable illustration of the liberty which Stenographers fre- 
quently take with the orthography of our language. 

" I only wish I had gone to school a leetle more when I was a 
boy. If I had, my letters now would make folks crawl all over : but 
if I had been to school all my lifetime, I know I never could be able 
to write more honestly than I have. I am sometimes puzzled most 
p'aguily to git words to tell jest exactly what I think, and what It 
know : and when I git'em I don't know exactly how to spell'em — but 
so long as I git the sound, I'll let other folks git the sense on't— pretty 
much as our old friend down to Salem, who bilt a big ship to go to 
China — he call'd her the 'Asha.' Now there is sich a thing as folks 
knowin too much ; all the larned ones was puzzled to know who ' Ashal 
was ; and they never would know to this day what it ment, if the 
owner of the ship hadn't teil'd 'em that China was in 'Asha.' 'Oh ? 
ah!' says the larned folks, 'we see now — but that ain't the way to spell 
it.' 'What,' says he, 'if A-s-h-a don't spell Asha, what on earth does 
it spell ? And that stump'd 'em." 

It h seldom necessary to write an initial vowel except in mono- 
syllables such as ant, apt, ask, ell, end, err, ill, imp, ink, odd, orb. 
own, urge, urn, use, etc., in which cases it will be found easier and 
more legibly expressed by the loop and line characters assigned to 
represent them, than by placing detached marks in particular posi- 
tions, or by writing the consonant characters (or outlines as the Pho- 
nographers call them), in assigned positions to designate the omitted 
vowels. 

To express a vowel or diphthong in the middle or at the end of 
a word, the loop and line character assigned to represent it, is almost, 
if not quite,as readily formed, as it would be to draw a simple straight 

line; as for example <o mo is written almost as readily as rV mr, 

^ ne, is written as readily as ^Anp, V po, as readily as V 
pr. thus showing that the loop or ring forms no impediment in writing 
the two letters, whereas, according .to almost every other system of 



38 TOWNDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 

short-hand, it would he necessary to take off the pen and make a de- 
tached mark to denote the vowel. 

The student must constantly hear in mind that the primary ob- 
ject to be gained is to know how to write words correctly, both as to 
the characters used, and the perfection of their respective forms : and 
then to write them so frequently that each word becomes so thorough- 
ly familiar to the eye and mind of the writer that he can pen them 
down as fast as they flow naturally from the lips of a speaker. 

It may be proper here to remark that the learner must not for a 
moment suppose because some simple words may each require three, 
four or even five movements of the pen to write them, that longer 
words require a proportionably larger number of motions of the pen 
to express them ; such not being the case : for instance, the word 

pride is written thus : ^^ , while the word interment is written thus: 

v>% , countermand thus : <^, comprehend thus : <r\^ , etc . , accord- 
ing to rules hereafter given. 

In order to obviate the necessity heretofore experienced, in fre- 
quently turning over the leaves of a Text-Book from the rules or in- 
structions to the exercises prepared or selected for the learner's prac- 
tice ; and from the exercises to the rules ; it is deemed preferable to 
issue the Instructions or Rules and exercises in separate parts, so that 
both may be opened and kept immediately before the student at any 
stage of his progress, while he is devoting his attention to the subject. 



Exposition of the Consonants. 



21. B. is represented in the present system of Stenography, by a 

small vertical semi-circle, thus, C , the reverse of I always commenc- 
ing at the top. 

22. Bb. To express bb, the character for b, must be written twice 
without lifting the pen. 

23. Be, forming a distinct syllable at the beginning of a word, 
must be expressed by making the character for 5, twice its usual size, 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SHORT-HAND. 39 

writing <J ^ N fo-km for became and focome. 

24. Z> may be omitted in such words as de?;t, dou&t, dum&, tom&, 
<fcc. 

25. C. The hard sound of c, as heard in calm, cap. cost, cup, &c, 
is represented by K. and the soft sound in such words as celestial 
cent, ce tain, &c, by s; writing kst for cast, caste, and cost • krv, for 
carve and curve ; srtn for certain, &c. 

2G. C. To represent G, as the initial of a name, use the ch charac- 
ter distinguished as such by a grave accent placed over the same, as 

in V A ^ C. H. Chase. 

27. Gk. For the expression of ch, see exposition of Double Con- 
sonants. 

28. D, is represented by a short oblique line, thus /, the reverse 

of??, in all cases commencing at the top. Examples \ dmp, ^ 
dk, &c. 

29. Dd must be expressing by making the character for d twice, 

separately, as in /O ddn for deaden, G~// kndd for candid, &c. 

30. D, at the end of words has frequently the sound of t which 
letter may, in such cases, be substituted for the former, when more 
conveniently joined with preceding character ; writing dstrst for dis- 
tressed ; xprst for expressed, kc. 

31. D, may be omitted in such words as friendship, landlord, land- 
scape, &e. 

32. F, is represented by two distinct characters, each composed of 

a small loop or ring and a small vertical semi-circle, thus C and 3 ; 
leaving the writer at liberty to use either as may be found most easily 

joined with the preceding or following character, as in v pf, 2_ 1ft, 
&c. 

33. Yov ff, write either of the /characters twice, without raising 
the pen, as may be most conveniently joined to the preceding or fol- 
lowing character. 

34. F, must always be substituted for gh, and ph, in such words as 
cough, laugh, rough, tough, phantom, pheasant, philosophy, &c. 

3"5 G, is represented by a small descending curve or hook and 



40 TOWNDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 

short horizontal line, thus e__ , the reverse of j, as in t_ gel ; 

grain, &i\ The soft sound of g may be expressed by j in such words 
as gem, gender, giant, gibbet, gipsey, &c. 

30. G and gh, being silent in gnat, -phlegm, ieign, reign, resign, 
hght, sight, Set., may be omitted in those words. 

87. Gh, occurring together and having the sound off, as heard in 
enough, trough, &c, must be substituted by/. 

88. Gg. To express gg, make the character for g, twice without 
lifting the pen thus ^-^__ , as in the words gag and gig, giggle, &c 

39. II. Two distinet characters have been appopriated to repre- 
sent this letter not only to render it more convenient in combination 
with others, but also to afford a ready means of expressing the present 
and past tenses of the auxiliary verb to have. See word signs, class 
A. 1. 

40. II. Each of the characters representing h, consists of a large 
horizontal semi-circle, the first one being made twice the size of m, 
thus r\ and the second one twice the size of n thus \J, leaving the 
writer at liberty to use either, as may be found most easily joined to 

the preceding or following character, as in <-J ha, v,.^ he, ■ / ~0 

ho, N^ hu. 

41. J, which has a perfect uniformity of sounds, (except in halle- 
lujah) is represented by a small ascending curve or hook and short 

horizontal line thus c — , the reverse of g, as in ^ — jigg ei 'j & c - 

42. J, may be substituted for g when the latter has a soft sound 
in such words as gem, gin, ginger, gypsy, &c. 

43. K, is represented by two characters, each composed of a small 

loop or ring, and small semi-circle, thus ^ and thus ^j ; either of 
which may be used, according to its most ready combination with other 

letters, as in <"~^ jkr, np>. mk, —v^ tnk, &c. 

44. # Kh. Either of the characters for Tc may be written twice with- 
out raising the pen, for hlc. 

45. K, must be substituted for c, and oh, in such words as care, 
case, curse, chaos, chasm, character, &c. 

46. K, may be omitted when preceding n, in the same syllable, in 
such words as 7jnave, Tcnee, Z;nock, &c. 



COMPLETE G-UIDE TO WRITING SHORT-HAND. 41 

47. L, is represented by a small vertical semi-circle, thus s , the 

reverse of b, always commencing at the top, as in <xylnk, *-/ ltr, &c. 
43. LI. To express 11, the character for Z must be written twice 
without raising the pen, as in \q prll for parallel, &c. 

43. Lr. To express Ir make the semi-circular character for I twice 

its regular size thus '") as in <y lrnd for learned. 

50. L, may be omitted in such words as calf, calm, palm, salve, 
tlk, walk, &<.'. 

51. M, is represented by a small semi-circle, thus o , the reverse 

of n, as in mrk <rf , mrl rvQ. 

52. Mm, To express mm, write the character for m twice without 
lifting the pen, as in '"v^-tr^ m imic, &c. 

53. N, is represented by a small semi-circle thus ^J , the reverse 

of m as in <S~ nrg, ^"~ / ntr, &c. 

54. Nn. To express n/i, write the character for n twice without 

raising the pen. as in C^j Inn for linen, &c. g^a^s knn for cannon, 
&c. 

55. JV, may be omitted in such words as hyum, kil^, autumn, sol- 
enm, &c. 

5G. P, is represented by a short oblique line, drawn down from 

left to right, thus \ , the reverse of d, as in \>- png, N/J prs, &c. 

57. P, when preceded by x, is expressed by drawing the stem line 

of the character representing x twice its regular length, as in v 7 ! 
xprs for express, &c. 

58. P may always be omitted in such words as pneumatics, psalms, 
tenrpt, raspberry, receipt, redemption, &e. 

59. Ph, except when silent, must be substituted by/or a, as in the 
words nej»7iew, phantom, j^ilosopher, &c. 

60. Pp. To express pp, the character representing p, must be 

written twice thus \V as in ^-^pptk. 



42 TOWNDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OP STENOGRAPHY, OR 

61. Q, is represented by a small curve or hook and short perpen- 
dicular line, thus '1 , the reverse of icJi I as in <n qk, &c. 

62. Qu, may be frequently substituted by 7c, writing e^nf knkr 

for canker and couquer, / v y mrk for mark and marque, &c. 

63. Cu frequently sound like q, and may in such cases be express" 
ed by the latter, writing y qr for cure, / seqr for secure, <yj l-o- 

q-shun, for elocution, &c. 

64. B, when joined with other letters, except in words beginning 
with the syllable re, is represented by a simple oblique line, thus / , 
the same as d, with this exception ; d is always made down from right 
to left, while r must in all cases be an up stroke from left to right, as 

in <A dk, J° rk, IS-* drk. 

65. Be, forming a distinct syllable at the beginning of a word, 

must be expressed by the character representing r thus / , in all cases 

commencing with the curve or hook in its formation, as in J reb\, 

for rebel, Sol r<?pos, for repose, &c. 

66. The same character is also written simply to express the words 
are, art, and or. See word Signs, Class A. 

67. Br. To express rr, first make the simple oblique line, up 

thus / , then join the other character representing r, to the terminal 

/ . v / 

point of the former, thus / , writing f** mrr fo r mirror ; — 
trr for terror. Br may also be expressed by writing the simple line 
character for r twice separately when more convenient or distinct, as 

in — //^^ tr-rnt for torrent, &c. 

68. S, is represented by a short perpendicular line thus I , always 

commencing at the top, as in U— sng, "7^ tsk, &c. 

69. S. being silent in demesne, isle, island, viscount, &c, must be 
omitted in those words. 

70. S, has frequently the sound of sh, and should be substituted 
by the latter, writing Asha for Asia, Prsha for Persia, shur for su e, 
shugr for sugar, &c. 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SHORT-HAND. 43 

71. Ss, may be expressed by making the character for s twice sep- 
arately, thus |i or by drawing the perpendicular line for s twice its 
regular length, thus I as may be found most expedient. It is gan- 
erally preferable to use the former after a down-stroke, and the latter 
after an up-stroke, writing ' L- asst for assist, ' ress for recess, 

~ L re-sst for resist, &c. 

72. Sh. Two distinct characters are assigned to represent the 
double consonant sh, for which see exposition of the same. 

73. T, is represented by a short horizontal line thus in all 
cases to be drawn from left to right, as in _- rv - tmt, —A— trst, &c. 

74. T, may be omitted in such words as bustle, chasten, mortgage, 
&c. 

75. Tt. To express tt, the character for t, must always be written 

twice separately, thus f as in — ) ttl, for tattle and tittle ; — ttr 

for tatter, tetter, titter and tetter, &c. 

76. Th, occurring together, must be expressed by drawing the 

horizontal line for t, twice its regular length, thus , as in M 

thm for them and thumb ; ^*-/ thnk for thank and think, &c. 

See exposition of Double Consonants. 

77. V, is expressed by two characters, each composed of a small 

loop or ring, and a large vertical semi-circle, thus (J and J > twice the 
size of those representing/, leaving the writer to use either as found 
most readily joined to the preceding er following character ; as in 

^ gv, J lv, &c. 

78. Vv, may be expressed by making either of the characters twice 
without raising the pen. 

79. W, Two distinct characters have been assigned to represent 
this letter, each composed of a small loop or ring and semi-circle thus 

<T\ and thus <^' , twice the size of the characters repsenting £, always 
commencing with the loop or ring ; using the one which will be most 
readily joined to the preceding or following character ; the former 



44 TOWNDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STEXOGRA.PHY, OR 

after a down stroke and the latter after an upstoke, as in (hsrs swm, 

C^ fnr. 

80. W. This letter is omitted in answer, sword, wrap, wreck, write, 
&c. 

81. Wh. For wh, in such words as what, when, while, whist, &c, 
a distinct character is appropriated. See exposition of the Double Con- 
sonants. 

82. X. Two characters are assigned to express the letter x, each 
composed of a small curve or hook, and a short oblique line drawn 

clown from left to right thus \ and ^, . In combination with other 



.<- 



letters, used the one which can be most readily joined, as in \ sx 

~~ f V- txt, &c. 

83. Xp are expressed by drawing the stem line of the x twice its 



regular length, as in V xprt for expert and export, &c. 

84, X, has the sound of z, at the beginning of proper names, is 
heard, in Xanthus, Xenophon, Xerxes, &c, and must be substituted by 
that letter accordingly. 

85. X, may generally be substituted for clcs and cts at the end of 
words, writing ax for acts and axe,/# for facts, fix and fox, &c. 

8G. Y, at the beginning of a word or syllable, is represented by a 
small curve or hook and short oblique line drawn down from right to 

left, thus / , always commencing with the curve, as in X yt, 0<- — ynj^ 
&c. 

87. Y, must always be substituted for i in the final syllable of sucii 
words as billiards, collier, million, onion / &c. 

88. Y. To express y, in such words as prey, many, marry, type, 
thyme, tyrant, &c, see exposition of the vowels a, e and i. 

89. Z is represented by a small curve or hook, and short oblique 

line drawn down from right to left, thus / , in all cases commencing 

at the curve or hook, as in /V zmr, cVc. 

90. Z, may frequently be substituted for s when it has the hard 
hissing sound of the former. 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SHORT-HAND. 45 

91. Zh. The sound of zher and zhur, at the end of words are ex- 
pressed by the z character with a dot under it as a qualifying point. 
If the writer should prefer it, he may use either of the following char- 
acters (half-chain-links) /) or ^> to express such terminal sounds, as 

in V or b for azure j /""2f"~ :> hosier, &c. 



Exposition of the Double Consonants. 



92. Gh. The sound of ch, as heard in charm, chapter, child,. 
chosen, church, &c, is expressed thus i/, always commencing its for- 
mation at the curve or hook, as in y^ - ehnt for chant, y\— chst for 
chest, &c. 

93. Gh, having the hard sound like 7c, as in chaos, chasm, chorus, 
school, &c, must in all such cases be expressed by that letter. 

94. Gh, may be substituted by sh, in such words as chagrin, chaise, 
and chivalrous, and by q in choir, &c. 

95. Sh. Two characters have been assigned to represent sh, the 

first one being an oblique line twice the lenght of d thu / * . It 
may be made either with a downward or upward stroke, as in r 

dsh for dash or dish, </\ shk for shock. The other character rep- 



\ , ah 



resenting sh is an oblique line twice the length of p, thus \ , always 

x \ 

made down, as in \/~~ shrt for shirt or short, for shoot, &c 

96. Th. Both the flat and sharp sounds of th, are represented by 
a horizontal line twice the lenght, of the t character, thus , as in 

Z. — dth for death or doth, / thr for their or there. 

97. Th-t. To express tht, write the latter t immediately under the 

last half of the line representing th, as in -~~ZZ-^/ thtch for thatch, 

" _~ / ththr for thither, &c. 

98. Wh. A small curve or hook and a short perpendicular line 

made down thus » , is used to express wh, as in L wht for what, whet, 



4(5 TOWNDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 

whit, u whn for when or whin. 

99. The first character representing h thus /"N , must be written 
instead of wh in such words as whole, wholesome, whoop, &c. 



Exposition of the Vowels and Diphthongs. 

100. The long slender sound of a as heard in age, aim, base, pare, 
&c, is represented thus *) or thus / , as may be most conveniently 

joined to the preceding character, as in K aim, ^/ air, 7 da, » 
nay, &c- 

101. The long slender a must be substituted for ai, ay, ea, ei, and 
ey in such words as aid, day, ray bear, reign, prey, &c. 

102. The long Italian a as heard in alms, balm, calm, &c, is rep- 
resented thus 1 , at the beginning of a word, making the circle or 
ring of the character, twice the size of that representing the long 

sound of a, as in 1^ ark, vV ardor, &c. In the middle or at the end 
of a word, the circle or ring may be formed on either side of the stem 

line, as in *£ calm, &c. 

103. The short Italian sound of a at the beginning of a word is 

represented thus P , as in c£_ act, tr\— attempt, &c. When it oc- 
curs in the middle or at end of a word, the circle or ring, as in the case 
of the long Italian a, can be formed on either side of the stem line 

*f data, ££- fiat a-/f iota, &c. 

104. The same characters may be used to express au, in such 
words as aunt, daunt, jaunt, laugh, launch, &c. 

105. The broad German a, au, and aw, are expressed thus C\ or 

^ as in °\ / author, C? C_/ daughter, ^ thaw, &c. 

106. Oa and ou, have sometimes the sound of au, in which cases, 

they should expressed by the same characters, writing ^— braut, 

for brought, — ^- thaut, for thought, &c. 

107. The long sound of e, at the beginning of a word is represent- 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SHORT-HAND. 47 

ed thus °\ , as in V ear, ^v-_ eat, &e. 

108. The short sound of e, at the beginning of a word is represent- 
ed thus V as in 1_ egg, C^ earn, &c. 

109. The long or short sound of e when preceded by other charac- 
ters, may be represented thus °S or \ , as may be most conveniently 
joined, as in V cler, for dear and deer, V rer,for rear, ~J{ tre, 

for tree, Vv_ poe t } * ryT ^_ comet, <7 \_ diet, &c 

110. E, must be substituted for the diphthongs ea, ee, ei, ey, i, and 
y in such words as beast, beer, ceil, key, liege, &c. 

111. /having the sound of e in such words as fatigue, intrigue, 
marine, fancy, mercy, memory, &c, must be expressed by e. 

112. The long diphthong sound of i at the beginning of a word as 

heard in ice, idol, &c, is represented thus <s~ , as in a — / ^ y/ iron, 
a / ~ N item, &c. 

113. The short sound i at the begsnning of a word is represented 

thus *— , as in ^^ ink, &c. 

114. The long or short sound of i when preceded by other charac- 
ters may be expressed thus °~~ or thus °— , as in </- for die or dye, 

v7 prid for pride, >V rid for ride, /"V>rr^ mmik for mimic, 

\s>-e/ pnik for panic, &c. 

115. The diphthongs ei, eye, ie, ui. and uy, alsoy, and ye sounding 
like i, must be expressed by the latter, as in height, lie, lye, guide, 
type, by, buy, &c 

116. For the expression of oi or oy, make the circle or ring of the 

characters representing i twice the usual size, 0~~ and ^- , as in 

<7-^s— oint, <7"T_/ oyster, ^\ noise, &c. 

117. The long open sound of o, as heard in old, open, hope, more, 

&c, is represented / at the beginning of the word, and thus 6 or 
thus %/ when preceded by other characters, as in <rf ode, T^ 
mode, Co*— most, \$/ note, &c. 



48 TOWNDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 

118. The broad and short sounds of o as heard in orbit, order, ob- 
ject, optics, &c, are represented thus J at the beginning of words, 
and like the long open o thus o or thus o/ when preceded by other 

characters, as in <yj odd, »— / grot, &c. 

119. Oct, oe, oo, ou, ow, ezo and eau sounding like long open o in 
such words a« boar, foe, floor, pour, slow, sew, beau, &c, must be ex- 
pressed by the same characters. 

120* The long close o and oo as heard in lose, loose, move, prove, 

room, tool, &c, must be expressed thus ° or thus c/ , making the 
circle or ring, portion of the characters twice the size of those repre- 
senting the long open, broad and short sounds of o, as in <V moon, 

<? \ soop for soup. 

121. The long close o or oo must be substituted for the diphthongs 
eu, oe, ou, or ico, in such words as rheum, canoe, shoe, croup, soup, 
two, &c. 

123. The long sound of u, is represented thus at the begin- 
ning of words as in C> unite and JA usurp. 

123. The short and broad sounds of u, at the beginning of words 

are represented thus \ , as in ^~~ urge, £s utter, &c. 

124. The long, short and broad sounds of u when preceded by 

other characters may be expressed thus or thus /° , as in S^ hue, 

y pure, "" ~£/ tutor, %. gamut, &c. 

125. U, must be substituted for eu, ew, ue, ieu and icw in such 
words as lieu, few, new, glue, view, &c. 

126. Ue, must be omitted in such words as fatigue, intrigue, 
oblique, &c, 

127. The sound of the diphthongs ou and ow, as heard in hour, 

sour, power, town, &c, is exeressed thus p or thus /° , making the 
circle or ring portion of the characters twice the size of those repre- 
senting u., as in 2-^ pout, -~t thou, Ls town, &c. 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SHORT-HAND. 49 

128. It is rarely necessary to write a vowel before m, n, or x, at the 
beginning of a word, as in embrace, impose, enchant, invest, expand, 
express, &c, the letters m, n, and x clearly indicating the -sound of the 
first syllables em, im, en, in ex, &e. 

129. When a vowel character is used in the middle or at the end 
of a word, it may almost invariably be understood to represent the 
long sound, regardless of the position of the circle or ring, that is to 
say, whether it is on the right or left, upper or under side of stem line 
as base, dare, day, nay, ded, red, si, tri, mon. 

130. When two vowel characters occur in successive order in a 
word, it may be taken for granted in nine cases out of ten, that the 
first vowel has a long sound, and the second a short sound, as in Mas, 
diet, duel, duet, lion, poet, stoic, &c. 

131. The words re-elect, re-election and a few others form exceptions 
to the above rule, both es having the long sound ; but it must be borne 
in mind that only one is written, the first syllable re, being expressed 



by the character r commencing with a curve or hook, thus 



*. 



led, the last syllable being expressed by the suffix led, as shown in a 
subsequent page. In the words iodine, iota, and some other words, 
both vowels have the long sound. 

132. It being seldom necessary to express the short sound of a 
vowel in the middle or at the end of a word, as before stated, it admits 
of the use of the characters represented the short sounds of the vowels 
for the long sounds when most conveniently joined to the preceding 
characters. 



Application of the Characters when written singly. 

103. It will be observed on examination of the following tables of 
Word Signs, that each of what are termed alphabetical characters is 
assigned to denote a few words of frequent occurrence, of which it 
forms the initial or most prominent sound, for instance b, stands for 
be, been, and by, d for do, does and done, m for am, me, my and may. It 
will be necessary to acquire the utmost familiarity with the words 
thus expressed, so as to be able, on hearing any of them spoken, to 
note down the proper character without the least hesitation. 



50 TOWNDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 

134. It is probablj' that tins application of the characters may at 
first strike the student rather unfavorably ; as being likely to produce 
confusion, and render the reading of Stenographic manuscript ex- 
tremely difficult, such however will not prove to be the case, the num- 
ber of wore s so represented by each being too limited to occasion any 
impediment, for the context will always point out the words they 
were respectively intended to express, which the following examples 
will serve to illustrate. In the sentence, "The bird icill fly,' it will be 
seen that the character representing the also denotes at and to ; and 
tlie character expressing the word uill, also denotes uas and icith, but 
neither of the other words can be put together to make common sense. 
Again in the expression 'Feed my sheep," the character representing 
my, also denotes am, me, and may, but who is there that would tran- 
scribe the three words, as feed am sheep, feed me sheep, or feed may 
sheep ? 

135. Each consonant, vowel and diphthongal skn, in addition to 
expressing a few words of which it forms the initial or most promi- 
nent sound, by annexing simple distinguishing marks, can be advan- 
tageously employed to express other words of common occurrence, 
yet less frequent than those in Class A.; for instance the sign repre- 
senting g c_ , in Cliss A. denotes go, goei and gone ; while in Class 

.i>. the same character with a short line drawn across the stem line, 

thus *-*- is assigned to express glory, glorify, glorious and gloriously. 
In Class C. the g sign with a short line drawn across the terminal 

point of the stem line, thus <— I is assigned to express the words genu- 
ine, genuinely and genuineness. In Class D. t!ie g sign with a very 
short line or tick drawn down from the terminal point of the stem 

line, thus *""», will express the words gratuitous, gratuitously , and grat- 
uity. In Class E. the g sign with a very short line or tick drawn from 

the centre of the stem line, thus w- is assigned to express the words 
gradual, gradually and graduation. In Class F. of Words Signs, the 
^ character with a very small semi-circle or cresent-like mark, annexed 
to the terminal point of the stem line, thus c-v is assigned to express 
the words grief, grieve, grievance, grievous, grievously, &c. The semi- 
circle or cresent-like mark in this class may be turned in any direction 
according to convenience and distinctness of combination. 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITIXG SHORT-HAND. 51 

Proper Names to be Distinguished. 



136. The names of persons, places, &c., must be distinguished as 
such, from other words, by having the grave accent thus v placed 

over them as in QLj^ Byron, V\ Pope, rv/^l_/ Manchester, Y* 

\ 

r^ , New York, &c. 'I he vowel o can be readily inserted in the words, 
Byron and York, if preferred, in correspondence. 

137. To represent the letter C, as the initial of the name of a per- 
son, use the character Ch, with the grave accent placed over the same, 

as in V /^n Uj C. H. Chase. 

138. It will generally be sufficient to write the initial or leading 
sound, of any sacred term such as Lord, God, &c, but they must be 
distinguished as such Yy placing the accute accent / over them, thus 

/ / / s 

~) Lord, t_l God, ^ Almighty, < — Jesus, r ~\^ Jehovah. 



Marks of Punctuation, &c. 



139. A period or full stop is denoted by a small cross thus x and 

the end of a paragraph by a double cross or mark thus J A note of 

Admiration or Exclamation thus f , and a note of Interrogation thu3 

4- ; A dash by two commas, thus , , and a colon and dash bv three 
commas thus ,,, 

140. The comma, semi-colon and colon, also quotation marks are 
denoted by the marks used in ordinary long-hand writing. 

141. For marginal notes and notes of reference, use the following 
marks o w < )av<>. 



52 



TOWSDROWS TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 



Tl 



Word Signs — Class A. i. 

ie Consonant characters and tV.e words they respectively denote. 



142, 


B 


C 


Be, boon, by. 


143. 


D 


/ 


Do, does, done. 


144. 


F 


<f 


For, of. 


145, 


F 


5) 


From, if. 


146. 


G 


*- 


Go, goes, gone. 


147. 


II 


r~\ 


Has, hast, have. 


148. 


11 


^^ 


He, had, hadst. 


149. 


J 


c- 


Judge,-d, judges, just. 


150. 


K 


iTS 


Can, canst, know, knows. 


151. 


K 


o> 


Could, couldst, knew, known. 


152. 


L 


~) 


All, like, likes, likely. 


153. 


M 


r\ 


Am, me, my, may. 


154. 


N 


kj 


In, on, no. 


155. 


P 


\ 


Praise, praj, prays. 


156. 


Q 


7 


Quiet, quietly, quietness, quantity,, 


157. 


R 


/ 


Are, art, or. 


158. 


S 


1 


As, is, us. 


159. 


T 


— 


To, at, the. 


160. 


V 


c 


Very, verily. 


161. 


V 


9 


Virtue, virtuous,-ly,-ness. 


162. 


W 


<r> 


Was, with, will. 


163. 


w 


<u 


We were, would. 


164. 


X 


\ 


Exceed, exceeds, except, excepts. 


165. 


X 


\ 


Expect, expects, example ,-s. 


166. 


Y 


/ 


Ye, you, your, yours. 


167. 


Z 


P 


Zeal, zealous,-ly, zealousness. 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SHORT-HAND. 



53 



Word Signs — Class A. 2. 

The Double Consonant characters and the words they respectively denote. 



Much, such. 
Shall, shalt. 
Should, shouldst. 
Thee, they, that. 
Why, which. 



1G8. 


Ch 


</ 


169. 


Sli 


/ 


170. 


Sh 


\ 


171. 


Th 




172. 


Wh 


r 



The Vowels and Diphthongs, and the words they denote. 



173. 
174. 
175. 
176. 

177. 
178, 
179. 
180. 
181. 
182. 
183. 
184. 
185. 
18G. 
187. 
188. 
189. 
190. 
191. 
192. 



A 
A 

Ah 

Ah 

Au 

Au 

E 

E 

I 

I 

Oi 

Oi 





Oo 

Oo 

U 

u 

On 
Oa 



1 

P 

P 



c/ 

6 
<y 
/ 
/° 
9 
/> 



A, any, alone. 
Again, against. 
Ah, ay, aye. 
Among, amongst. 
Awe, alway, always. 
Also, although. 
Even, evil, evils. 
Ever, every. 
[, eye, eyes. 
It, its, itself. 
Destroy ,-ed,-s,-ing. 
Employ, -ed,-s,-er, ing,-ment. 
0, oh, owe, owing, only. 
Off, oft, often. 
Who, whom, whose. 
Other, others, otherwise. 
Usual, usually, usualness. 
Up, upon, upwaids. 
Hour, hours, hourly. 
Our, ours, ourselves. 



54 TOWEDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 

Word Signs— Class B. i. 

The Consonant with cross-line, and the words they denote. 



193. 


B 


•£ 


194. 


1) 


t 


193, 


F 


* 


190. 


F 


9- 


197. 


G 


*+■ 


198. 


11 


A 


199. 
200. 


H 
J 


V 


201. 


K 


<rK 


202. 


K 


V 


203. 


L 


3- 


204. 


M 


rh 


205. 
206. 


P 




207. 


Q 


^h 


208. 


R 


** 


209. 


S 


■f 


210. 
211. 


T 
V 




212. 


V 


5- 


213. 


W 


sh 


214. 
215. 


W 
X 




216. 


X 


* 


217. 


Y 


/ 


218. 


Z 


t* 



Between, betwixt. 

Divide, -s, divided, dividiur. 

Facetious, facetiously, facetiousness. 



Father, fatherly. 
Glory, glorify,-ing, glorious, &c. 
Heaven, heavenly, heavenward. 
Holy, holily, holiness. 
Judicatory, judicature, judiciary. 
Knowing, knowingly, knowledge. 
Acknowledge,-d,-ing, acknowledgement. 
Love,-s, loved, lover, loving,-ly. 
Mightj-rly, mighty, mightiness. 
Natural, -ly,-ize,-izing,-ization. 
Peace,-able,-ableness,-ably,-ful,-fully. 
Question,-able,-ed,-ing, <fcc. 
Rational,-ly, rationality, &c. 
Spirit,-s,-ed, spiritual, -lyyity, &c. 
Testify,-ed,-ing, testification, testimony. 
Valid, validity, validly. 
Vitiate, -d,-s, vitiating, vitiation. 
Workman, -ly, -like, workmanship. 
Worship,-s,-ed,-ing, worshipful, -ly, &c. 
Exaggerate,^!, -ing, exaggeration . 
Exquisite, exquisitely. 
|Young,-er,-est, youngish, youngling. 
| Zodiac, zodiacal. 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING- SHORT-HA^D 



:>3 



Word Signs— Class B. 2. 

The CouWe Consonants with short cress-line, and the -words they denote. 



219. 


Ch 


220. 


Sn 


221. 


Sh 


222. 


Th 


223. 


Wh 



/- 
\ 

— f- 
•f 



.Charity, charitable, charitableness. 
'Sheriff, sheriffalty. 
jShrievalty, shrinkage. 
iThank,-s,-ed, thankful, -ly,-ness. 
(While, whilst, awhile. 



The Vowels with cross-line, and the words they denote. 



224. 


A 


9 

T 


Alien, alienable, alienate. 


225. 


A 


f 


Agency, agent, agentship. 


226. 


Ah 


% 


Alternate, alternately, alternation. 


227. 


Ah 


-P 


Accept,-s,-ecl,-ance,-ation, acceptable, &c. 


228. 


Au 


% 


Auspices, auspicious, auspiciously. 


229. 


Au 


*K 


Authority, authorize,- <l,-s, authorization. 


230. 


E 


s 


Equivocal,-! y, equivocate, equivocation, &c. 


231. 


]] 





Especial, especially. 


232. 


I 


cb 


Irascible, irascibleness, irascibility, &c. 


2oj. 


I 


^A- 


Immediate,-! j", immediateness. 


234. 


Ci 


crf- 


Appoint, s,-ed,-ing, appointable, &c. 


235. 


Oi 


°± 


Avoid, -s,-ed,-ing, avoidable, avoidance. 


236. 





t 


Orient, oriental, orientalism, &c. 


237. 





<r 


Officially, officiate, -d,-ing. 


238. 


Oo 


£ 


Whomsoever, whosoever. 


239. 


Oo 


^ 


Ooze, oozed, oozes, oozing, &e. 


240. 


u 


0_ 


Universe, universally, universality, &'?.. 


241. 


u 


T 5 


Upright, uprightly, uprightness. 


242. 


Oa 


£ 


Ontlaw,-s,-ed, outlawing, outlawry. 


243. 


Oo 


^ 


Outrage,-d,-s,-ing, outrageously. 



TOWNDROW S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 



Word Signs— Class C. i. 

The Consonants with terminal cross-lines, and the words they denote. 



244. 

245, 
24G. 
247. 
248. 
249. 
250. 
251. 
252, 
253. 
254. 
255. 
25G. 
257. 
258. 
259, 
200. 
201. 
202, 
203. 
204. 
205. 
200. 
207. 
208, 
209. 



B 


c, 


Brilliancy, brilliant, brilliantly. 


D 


J. 


Delicacy, delicate,-ly, delicateness. 


F 


Q 


Familiar,-ly, familiarity, familiarize. 


F 


P 


Fanatic. -al,-ally, fanaticism. 


G 


*4 


Genuine, genuinely, genuineness. 


H 


r± 


Hereditary, hereditarily, hereditament, &c. 


H 


\jr 


Hieroglyph, hieroglyphic,-al, &c. 


J 


c-H 


Jealous, jealously, jealousy. 


K 


<TX 


Casual, casually, casualty. 


K 


er 


Catechise,-d,-r,-ing, catechism, &c. 


L 


p 


Languid, languidly, languidness. 


M 


a- 


Malevolence, malevolent, malevolently. 


N 


vjr 


Nourish ,-ed,-s, nourishing, nourishment. 


P 


\- 


Panegyric, -al, panegyrize,-d,-in]r. 


Q 


1 


Qualify, -ing,-able, qualification. 


R 


r 


lieciprocal,-ly, reciprocate, reciprocity. 


S 


i 


Sacrilege, sacrilegious,-ly,-ness. 


T 


P 


Tacit, tacitly, taciturn, taciturnity. 


V 
V 


Vacillate,-d,-ing, vacillation. 
Versatile, Versatility. 


W 


<5"V 


Wealth,-y, wealthily, wealthiness. 


w 


qjr 


Weary, wearily, weariness. 


X 


V. 


Exasperate,-s.-d,-ing, exasperation. 


X 


L 


Exception,-able,-al, excepting. 


Y 


I 


Yeoman, yeomanry. 


Z 


J? 


Zoography, zoographic, zoographical. 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SHORT-HAND. 



57 



Word Signs — Class C. 2. 

The Double Consonants with terminal cross-lines, and the words they denote. 



Challenge,-(L-s,-ing, challengeable. 
Shabby, shabbily, shabbiness. 
Shagged,-ness, shaggy, shagginess, &c. 
Theatre, theatric, theatrical, -ly, 
Whimsey, whimsical, ity,-ly,-ness. 



270. 

271. 


Ch 
SU 


7 


272. 


Sh 


V 


278. 


Th 
Wh 




274. 


1 

I 



The Vowels with terminal cross-lines, and the words they denote. 



275. 


A 


I 


Arraign,-s,-ed,-ing, arraignment. 


276. 


A 


L 


Assuage,-s,-d,-ment, assuasive. 


277. 


Ah 


1 


Arbitrary ,-ly, arbitrate,-s, arbitration. 


278, 


Ah 


f 


Account.-s,-ed,-ing, accountable,-bility, &c. 


279. 


Au 


<\. 


Alter,-able,-ably, alteration, alterative, &c. 


280. 


Au 


i. 


Awkward, awkwardly, awkwardness. 


281. 


E 


<Y 


Ejaculate,-d,-ing, ejaculation. 


282. 


E 


L 


Efficience,-y, efflcient,-ly, &c. 


283. 


I 


(H 


Idealism, idealist, idealit3 r . 


284. 


I . 


Q_| 


Idiocy, idiot, idiotic,-al. 


285. 


Oi 


<H 


Boisterous, boisterously, boisterousness. 


286. 


Oi 


o-l 


Poison,-s,-ed,-er, poisoning, poisonous. 


287. 





<T 


Origin,-al,-ally, originality, &c. 


288. 





</" 


Object^Sj-edj-ing, objection,-able, &c. 


289. 


Oo 


<T 


Book,-s,-ed, booking. 


290. 


Oo 


cT 


Boom, boomed, booming. 


291. 


U 


1 


Ubiquity, ubiquitary, ubiquitous. 


292. 


U 


A 


Ulcerate,-d, ulcerating, ulceration. 


293. 


Ou 


1 


Outer ,-most, outward,-iy,-ness. 


294. 


Ou 


£ 


Browse, browsed, browsing. 



58 



TOWNDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 



Word Signs — Class D. i. 

The Consonants with terminal ticks, and the words they denote. 



295. 


B 


<T 


296. 


D 


z 


297. 


F 


? 


298. 


F 


? 


299. 


G 


*-i 


300. 


H 


r\_ 


301. 


H 


V/- 


303. 


J 


< — 1 


303. 


K 


CY. 


304. 


K 


e>r- 


305." 


L 


? 


306. 


M 


r^ 


307. 


N 


o- 


308. 


P 


\_ 


309. 


Q 


1 


310. 


R 


S 


311. 


S 


L 


312. 


T 


~-i 


313. 


V 


$ 


314. 


V 


? 


315. 


W 


6^- 


316. 


w 


<^r- 


317. 


X 


V 


318, 


X 


<L 


319. 


Y 


2 


320. 


Z 


£ 



Beneficial, beneficially, beneficiary. 
Discredit, -s,-ed,-ing, discreditable. 
Fascinate, -s,-ed, fascinating, fascination. 
Fastidious, -ly, fastidiousness, fastidiosity.. 
Gratuitous, gratuitously, gratuity. 
History, historic,-al,-ally, historian. 
Horticulture, horticultural, horticulturist, 
Jeopard,-y,-ous, jeopardize,-d,-ing. 
Character,-ize,-istic, characteristical, 
Chimera, chimerical,-ly. chimericalness.. 
Literary, literate, literature, literati. 
Miscellany, miscellaneous. 
Notify, notifying, notification. 
Patriot, patriotic,-al,-ally, patriotism. 
Quiesce, quiescence, quiescent. 
Reiterate,- d,-s,-ing, reiteration- 
Sacrifice ,-d ,-s ,-ing, sacrificial . 
rerrestrial, terrestrially. 
Valiant, valiantly, valiantness. 
Vehemence, vehement, vehemently. 
Walk,-s.-ed,-er, walkable, walking. 
Worthy, worthily, worthiness. 
Exclusion, exclusively, exclusiveness. 
Execrable,-ness, execrate,-d, execration. 
Yield,-s, yielded, yielding. 
Zoology, zoological, zoologist. 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SHORT-HANB» 



The 



Word Signs—Class D. 2. 

Double Consonants with terminal ticks, and the words they denote. 



321. 


Ch 


J 


Chastise>-d,-s,-ing,-able, chastisement. 


322. 


Sh 


/ 


Shelf, shelves, shelved, shelving. 


323. 


Sh 


\_ 


Shred, shredding. 


324. 


Th 


, 


Theism, theist, theistlc,-al. 


325. 


Wh 


c 


Whine, whined, whining. 



The Vowels with terminal ticks, ana the words they denote. 



326. 


A 


1 


Aerate ,-d,-ing, aeriform, aerification. 


327. 


A 


C 


Aerology, aerometer, aerometry. 


328. 


Ah 


1 


Artifice, artificer,, artificially. 


329. 


Ah 


e 


Assiduous, assiduously, assiduity. 


330. 


Au 


<v 


Augur,-ed, augural, auguring. 


331. 


Au 


t. 


Austere, austerely, austerity. 


332. 


E 


Ov- 


Elicit,, elicited, eliciting. 


333. 


E 


V 


Ellipse, elliptic,-al,-ally, ellipticity. 


334. 


I 


sn 


Identical,-ly, identify,- edging, identity. 


335. 


I 


0-1 


Imagine,-d,-s,-ing,-able, imaginary. 


336. 


Oi 


en 


Embroider,-ed,-ing, embroidery. 


337. 


Oi 


<H 


Embroil, -ed,-s,-ing, embroilment. 


338. 





S 


Opinion,-s,-ated, opinionative. 


339. 





<S 


Oblige,-d,-s,-ing, obligate,- d,-ing, &c. 


340. 


Oo 


d" 1 


Brood,-s, brooded, brooding. 


341. 


Oo 


0* 

2 


Droop,-s, drooped, drooping. 


342. 


u 


Unanimity, unanimous, unanimously. 


343. 


u 


£ 


Ultimate ,-d,-ing,-ly, ultimatum. 


344. 


Ou 


I 


Crowd, -s, crowded, crowding. 


345. 


Ou 


£ 


Crown,-s, ed, crowned, crowning. 



GO 



TOWNDROWS TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 



Word Signs— Class E. i. 

The Consonants with adjunct ticks, and the -words they denote. 



84C 
347. 
348. 
349. 
330. 
351. 
352. 
353. 
354. 
355. 
356. 
357. 
358. 
359. 
360. 
3G1. 
3G2. 
3G3. 
3G4. 
3G5. 
3GG. 
367. 
3G8. 
369. 
370. 
371. 



B 


€ 


Brutal,-ly, brutalize, -d,-ing, brutality. 


D 


/ 


Discrepance, discrepancy, discrepant. 


F 


£ 


Formal ,-ly, formality, formalism. 


F 


5- 


Frigid, -ly, frigidity, frigidness. 


G 


V 


Gradual, gradually, graduation. 


H 


/T\ 


Hypochondria, hypochondriac. 


11 


V 


Hypocrisy, hypocrite, hypocritically 


J 


CT~ 


Jesuit, jesuitic,-al,-ally, Jesuitism. 


K 


<n\ 


Cognizable, cognizanc-3, cognizant, 


K 


V 


Conscientious, -ly, conscientiousness. 


L 


> 


Legislate, -d,-ing, legislation, legislature. 


M 


A\ 


MetaxDhor,-ic, metaphorical, -ly. 


N 


V 


Noxious, noxiously, noxiousness. 


P 


V 


Period, periodic, -al,-ally, periodicity. 


Q 


f 


Quadruple,-d,-ing, quadruplicate,-d,-ing. 


It 


/ 


Residual, residuary, residue, &c. 


S 


1- 


Substantiate,-d,-ing, substantiation. 


T 


-r- 


Territory, territorial. 


V 


<? 


Youch,-ed,-es, vouching, voucher. 


Y 


> 


Vouchsafe, vouchsafed, vouchsafing. 


W 


<JT> 


Warrant,- ed,-ing, warrantable. 


w 


V 


Walch,-es,-ed,-ing, watchful,-ly,-ness. 


X 


\ 


Exhilarate,-d,-ing, exhilaration . 


X 


\ 


Exorbitance ,-y, exorbitant. 


Y 


?■ 


Year, years, yearly, yearling. 


Z 


■/? 


Zinc, zincous, zinceferous. 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SHORT-HAXD. 



Gi 



The 



Word Signs— Class E. 2. 

Double Consonants with adjunct ticks, and the words they denote. 



372. 


Ch 


1/ 

/ 


Charge,-d,-s,-ing, chargeable,-ness. 


373. 


Sh 


Shrewd, shrewdly, shrewness. 


374. 


Sh 


^ 


Shrive, shrived, shriving. 

Theory, theorize, theoretic,-al,-ally. 


375. 


Th 


/ 


376. 


Wh 


F 


Wharf, wharfage, wharfinger. 



The Vowels with adjunct ticks, and the words they denote. 



377. 


A 


?- 


Aerostat, aerostatic. 


378, 


A 


P 


Amiable, amiability, amiableness. 


379. 


Ah 


9- 


Architect,-ive, architecture,-al,-ally. 


380. 


Ah 


9 


Ameliorate,^, -d ,-ing, amelioration. 


381. 


Au 


<\ 


Authentic,-al, authenticate,-d,-ing, authenticity. 


382, 


An 


\ 


Audacious, audaciously, audacity. 


383. 


E 


\ 


Emaciate,-d, emaciating, emaciation. 


384. 


E 


V 


Ecstasy, ecstatic, ecstatical. 


385. 


I 


ar- 


Idolatry, idolatrous, idolize,-d,-ing. 


386. 


I 


a_ 


Initiate, -d,-ing, initiation, &c. 


387. 


Oi 


or 


Enjoin, enjoined, enjoining. 


388. 


Oi 


°r 


Enjoy,-s,-ed, enjoying, enjoyment. 


389. 





<f 


Obedience, obedient, obediently. 


390. 





* 


Obsequious, obsequiously, obsequiousness. 


391. 


Oo 


Fooled, fooling, foolish, -ly.-ness. 


392. 


Oo 


c/ 


Gloom,-y,-ing, gloomily, gloominess. 


393. 


u 


?- 


Unison, unisonance, unisonant. 


394. 


u 


/> 


Ultra, ultraism, ultraist. 


395. 


Ou 


9- 


Drown, drowned, drowning. 


396. 


Oa 


P 


Proud, prouder, proudest, proudly-. 



02 



TOWNDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 



Word Signs— Class F. i. 

.< 

The Consonants with terminal cresents, and the words they denote. 



897. 


B 


C^ 


398. 


D 


/ 


399. 


F 


? 


400. 


F 


5 


401. 


a 


^-L 


402. 


H 


^ 


403. 


H 


^.M 


404. 


J 


c — C 


405. 


K 


CV» 


406. 


K 


QJ" 


407. 


L 


3 


408. 


M 


rr~ 


409. 


N 


\-* 


410. 


P 


\ 


411. 


Q 


I 


412, 


R 


/■ 


413. 


S 


L 


414. 


T 


-c 


415. 


V 


C 


416. 


V 


? 


417. 


w 


r^ 


418. 


w 


<i_^ 


419. 


X 


\ 


420. 


X 


\r, 


421. 


Y 


/ 


422. 




£ 



Bankruptcy, bankrupted, ing. 
Dissuade,-d,-ing, dissuasion. 
Fluctuate, -d,-ing, fluctuation. 
Frustrate, -d,-ing, frustration. 
Grief, grieve, grievance, grievous,-ly. 
Hypothecate.-d,-ing, hypothecation. 
Hypothesis, hypothetic, hypothetical, -ly. 
Journal,-ism, journalist, journalize. 
Constituency, constituent, constituents. 
Credible, -ness, credibly, credibility. 
Legitimacy, legitimate,-ly, legitimation. 
Meteorology, meteorological, meteorologist. 
N T utriment,-al, nutrition, nutritive. 
Perpetrate,-d,-s,-ing, perpetration, 
Quarrel, -s,-ed, -in g, quarrelous, quarrelsome. 
Ritual,-ism, ritualist, ritualistic. 
Susceptible, susceptibility. 
Treachery, treacherously, treacherousness. 
Vituperate, vituperation, vituperative. 
Vivid, vividly, vividness. 
Wicked, wickedly, wickedness. 
Wonder,-ful,-fully, wonderment, wondrous,-ly 
Explicit, explicitly, explicitness. 
Expostulate,-s,-d,-ing, expostulation. 
Youth, youthful ,-ly, youthfulness. 
Zemindar, zemindaiy. 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SHORT-HASD. 



03 



The 



Word Signs — Class F. 2. 

Double Consonants with terminal cresents, and the words they denote. 



423. 
424. 

425. 
426. 

427. 



Ch 
Sti 
Sh 
Th 
Wh 



f 
/ 

V 



Charteiys, chartered, chartering. 
Shrub, shrubbery, shrubby. 
Shrug, shrugged, shrugging. 
Thorough, thorough^, thoroughness. 
Whirl ,-s, whirled, whirling. 



The Vowels with terminal cresents, and the words they denote. 



428, 
429. 
430. 
431. 
432. 
433. 
434. 
435. 
436. 
437. 
438. 
439. 
440. 
441. 
442. 
443. 
444. 
445. 
446. 
447. 



A 


I 


A 


£ 


Ah 


I 


Ah 


£ 


Au 


<V 


Au 


^ 


E 


V 


E 


^ 


I 


err 


I 


Q-t 


Oi 


crc 


01 


o< 





S 





**- 


Oo 


<f 


Oo 


cf 


u 


2 


u 


/> 


Ou 


2 


Oa 


£ 



Assail,-s,-ed,-ing,-able, assailment. 
Avail ,-s-ed,-ing,-able, availability. 
Aristocracy, aristocrat, aristocratic. 
Anarchy, anarchic,-al, anarchist. 
Autocracy, autocrat, autocratic. 
Automatic, automatical, automaton. 
Electric,-al, electrician, electricity. 
Espouse, -d 5 espousing, espousal. 
Itineracy, itinerant, itinerate. 
Iterate,-d,-s,-ing, iteration, iterative. 
Annoy ,-ed,-ing, annoyance, aunoyous. 
Annoint,-s,-ed, annointing, annointment. 
Odorous, odoriferous. 
Obstruct,-s,-ed, obstructing, obstruction. 
Loose, loosing, loosely, looseness. 
Proof, prove ,-d, proving, provable. 
Usurp,-ed,-s, usurping, usurpa.ion. 
Urgence,-y, urgent, urgently, urging. 
Prowl,-s,-ed, prowler, prowling. 
Shroud,-ed, shrouds, shrouding. 



€4 TOWNDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 



Supplementary Signs, 



Tbe words they denote when standing alone. 



448. 


. 


An, and. 


449. 


O 


One, ones, once. 


450. 


|- 


Et cetera, &c. 


451. 


\jn 


Namely, Viz. 


452. 


-c 


Via, by way of. 


453. 


( 


Belong,-?, -ed, belonging. 


454. 


c 


Being, being understood. 


455. 


) 


Large, -r, -est, largely, largeness. 


456. 

457. 


3- 


Enlarge,-d,-s,-ing, enlargement. 
Already, altogether. 


458. 


/? 


Measure, -d,-s, -able, -ably,-ing. 


459. 


r^ 


Pleasure, -s,-ing, pleasurable. 


460. 


c^ 


Behold, -s, beholding. 


461. 


c^ 


Beheld, beholden. 


462„ 


r 


O'clock, o A. M. f*\ P. M. 


463. 


4 


Yesterday. 


464. 


■* 


Yesterday morning. 


465. 


■£ 


Yesterday noon. 


466. 


4 


Yesterday afternoon. 


467. 


-*? 


Day after to-morrow. 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SHORT-HAND. 65 

Repetition of Words, &c. 



468. A dash thus drawn under a word or phrase, denotes 

an immediate repetition of the same, as in the following examples : 

My God, rny-God ; , Turn ye, turn-ye ; 

X / — ~2> x Praise ye the Lord, praise-ye-the-Lord. 

469. When a word is repeated three times, write it once by its 
proper characters, then draw two dashes or lines immediately under 

the same, thus ^ Glory, glory, glory ; =L Holy, holy, holy ; QJil 



Hark, hark, hark, &c. 

470. When a preposition or conjunction intervenes ; the repeti- 
tion, together with the preposition or conjunction may te expressed 

by placing a dash or line terminating with hook thus =» under 

the word so repeated, as in — =» Ever and-ever ; - J ^2 > From day 
to-dav, &c. 



Words of Contrary Signification, 



471. An oblique line, twice the length of the character represent- 
ing d, extending as much below, as above the writing line, w T hen plac- 
ed immediately after a word, expresses another word of opposite mean- 
ing, preceded by and, to or till, as in the following examples, "7/ 
Good and-bad ; y/ Day and-night ; J \/ From top to-bottom ; 

Jf^f/ From morn till-night. 

472. An oblique line with a small curve or hook on the right hand 
side placed immediately after a word, is used to express another word 
of opposite meaning joined with the former by the conjunction or, as 



66 TOWA T DROW'S TEXT-BOOK OP STENOGRAPHY, OR 

-J High or-low \ sy Rich or-poor, &c. 



473. When a word is followed by another of contrary significa- 
tion, without a preposition or conjunction intervening ; write the first 
word in the usual way, then express the antithesis and conjunction by 
an oblique line with a curve or hook on the left side, as in the follow- 
ing example / . r*-' , Men, women and children. 



The Negative particles Dis, II, Im, In, Ir, Un, &c. 



474. These may be expressed by a simple oblique line, twice the 
length of the character representing d, extending equally above and 
below the writing line, and placed immediately before the remainder 

of the word, as in ^/-/l— <Z«-tnist ; /rvO im-moral ; /\ un-even; 

Ary im-kind, &c. 



The Prefixes, Circum, Over and Under. 



475. The prefix Circum, is expressed by a very small circle or 
ring, thus placed immediatelY before the remainder of the word, as 

in ( W circumscribe ; o\ . circumspect ; °^^7 circumstance, &c. 

476. A very small circle or ring, when placed immediately over a 

word, denotes the prefix over as in ^ override ; — ©^ overtake ; 
o 
A~* overturn, &c. 

477. The same small circle or ring, when placed immediately un- 

der a word denotes the prefix under, as in ° under-go ; o tin- 
der-Yme ) o wider-take, &c. 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SHORT-HAXD. 

Suffixes expressed by Arbitrary Signs. 



473. Ing, forming a distinct syllable at the end of a word, is ex- 
pressed by adding a small curve or hook to the terminal of the last 

character, as in ~a-> ly-ing ; r-vA3 morn .^ • ' y rend-wagr, &c. 

479. Ingly, or ingness, at the end of a word, may also be expressed 
by the small curve or hook, as the context will always readily point 
out the termination it was intended for, as in the following sentences : 
I am wiW-ing to do that for you. I wi\\-lngbj consent to the arrange- 
ment. There was a wiil-ingness manifested on their part in the mat- 
ter. 

480. When cean, cion, sion, tion, ceous, clous or tl&us having the 
sound of slian, shen, shun, or shus occurs at the end of the word, it is ex- 
pressed by adding a very small circle or ring to the terminal point of 

the last character, as in 'o mo-tlon ; J ^ 9 deten-£ww ; o / \_o op- 

tlcian ; t "^* J gra-cious ; ^4 me-clous. 

481. When cian, cion, sion, tion, ceous, clous or tlous at the end of a 
word, is followed by al, ate, ately, ateness or li/ such extended or double 
termination, may be expressed by the same small curve or ring, leav- 
ing the context to point out the word intended, wiiting cT for na- 

tlon or national ; J for passion, passionate or pas sionately ; ^a 
pre-cious, pi'Q-ciously, pre-ciousness. As a distinctive mark of these ex- 
tended terminations, a dot can be placed beneath the terminal rino*. 

482. Cision, sidan, sition, {sizTiun, zislian and zishuri) are expressed 
by adding a loop, circle or ring twice the size of that used for sion, 
tion, &c, to the terminal point of the last character, forming such cir- 
cle or ring in the most convenient and distinct direction as in % 

de-cision ; cf musicians ; Y position ; °d physician, (fe- 
zishaii). 

483. When the termination sltlon (zishun) is followed by ist or ists, 
denote such addition or extension of the termination sition, by placing 
a dot or qualifying point under the circle or ring, thus <-/#? oppo- 
sitionist. 



68 TOWNDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 

484. The terminations self and selves, are expressed by drawing a 
very short perpendicular or s line under the personal pronoun, as in 

fp myself; . thyself; r\ themselves, &c. 

485. The terminations ship and ships, are likewise expressed by 
drawing a very short perpendicular or s line under the characters which 
precede, as in <SJV friends7wp ; s-^f hard«A£p, &c. 

48G. The suffixes or terminations lessly, lessness and liness, are ex- 
pressed by the I character, with a dot placed in the centre of the semi- 
circle, thus s instead of placing the dot as a qualifying point under 
the I according to the general rule set forth in a subsequent pagi. Ex- 
amples, crv*) for careZm-Zy or carelessness ; &H) for loneliness ; 

^ manliness. This method of applying the Z character for the 
suffixes lessly, lessness and liness, is in order to distinguish it from ' 
when used to express the suffixes led, ledive, lence, lency, lent and lent 

ly. 

487. The simple terminations ly and less, may be expressed by an 

Z character of half its usual size, thus ) as in v? barely ; 
manly ; <fV3 careless, See., or by writing Is for less, and le for ly. 

4S8. The terminations sier, zier, sure and zure, when sounding like 
zher or zliur are expressed by either of the zh characters, thus /) or ^> 
without any qualifying points as O^" 3 hosier ; ^ or b azure ; 

^3 leisure. 

489. The terminations late, tiate, &c, are expressed by either of 

the two upper segments of a large circle or ring (— -H Nos. 1 and 2. 

The first one of wmich is made by an up-stroke, and the other one, No. 

2, by a down-stroke, as in (f \ for associate, associates and associ- 
ated ; %fy*" denre-ciate, denre-ciated and denre-ciates; y~ expa- 
tiate, exosi-tiated and expa-tiates, &c. If either of the terminations 
Hate or tiate is followed by ing or tion, such extended termination may 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SHORT-HAXD. G9 

be expressed by the same characters with the qualifying point or dofc 
"beneath, as in 0^ for asso- dating or asso elation ; ^v* f or c i e . 

\n-e-ciating or devre-ciation; Y" for expa-tiating or exv2L-tiatio?i, &c. 

490. The terminations tual, tuate, tune, ture,teous,tuous, &c, re- 
gardless of the pronunciations of them favored by the various lexico- 
graphers are expressed by the two lower quarter segments of the same 
circle or ring, the first one, No. 3 being made by a down-stroke, and 

the other one, No. 4 by an up-stroke, as in <T\J nc-tual; ^\. for- 

tune; $0 ^- zoxxr-teous; 'V- righ-teous, &c. 

491. When any of the terminations specified in preceding section 
is followed by ly, ity, ate, ately, ous or ness, such extended terminations 
may be denoted by placing the qualifying jDoint or dot under the char- 
acter, as in ^-< for &c-tually ; ♦ V for ior-tunate or for-tunately ; 
tfj • for cour-teously or cour-teousness. 



Alphabetical Characters used as Prefixes and Suffixes. 



492. The learner's attention is next directed to the study and ap- 
plication of the Prefixes and Suffixes, consisting of common begin- 
nings and endings of words expressed by the Alphabetical signs. These 
are usually of great advantage in reducing the motions of the pen or 
pencil in writing the words in which they occur. 

493. When a character representing a simple letter or sound is in- 
tended to express a Prefix, it must be distinguished as such by placing 

a comma under it, as Tl_ agg?'e-gnte ', *' | compro-mhe &c. 

494. When a character representing a simple letter or sound, is 
intended to express a selected Suffix or termination of a word, it must 
be distinguisned as such by placing a dot or period under it, as in 

• en-act; \ im-prove ; <f* reheard, &c. 



70 TOWA'DROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 

495. When the first character of a word is used to express one of 
the selected prefixes, and the last one a suffix, a single dot is placed 
over the word, instead of a comma under the first one, and a dot under 

the last one, as in c — r ^ agree-ment ■ ijv-n compre-hend or compre- 
hensive ; O^ inter-ment ; ~\ trans-plant ; QL ^^ counter-mand, &c. 

496. When a word comprising two of the selected suffixes occurs, 
spell the first one according to its sound, and express the last one by 
the proper terminal character, distinguished as in the preceding rule 

or section, thus C7V " N ^ com-mand-ment ; ^ trans-ac-tion \ <-J~~^ 
trans-pl&nt-ing, &c. 

497. Com or con forming a distinct syllable at the beginning of a 
word containing no selected suffix, may be expressed by Jem or Icn in- 
stead of using the h character with the qualifying comma mark under 

it, writing gj instead of 1 V| for compose, and <r\J instead 

of s v~\j for consign. In like manner, it is preferable to write 

V pr, instead of ?\ for per in words containing no selected suf- 
fix, but in writing per-mittance, it is proper to use the prefix per, 
because the character expressing the termination ance, requires the 
qualifying point, and it is as easy to make a simple mark above the 
word, as one under it, and the dot above, qualifies the p for per, and 

the terminal a for ance, thus \ thereby saving one character, the 

r in the first syllable. 

498. When a selected prefix constitutes only part of a syllable or 
word, it must not be used to express such portion of the same : foi 
instance never write the prefix compre with an s added, for the word 
compress ; the second syllable of the word press, must invariably be 

spelled out a :cording to sound, thus ? \/\ or ^"l , the first sylla- 
ble being expressed by the prefix com or simply by 1cm. In like man- 
ner the second syllable in the word control, must be spelled out, ac- 



c^r-^ ki 



cording to sound, thus c^j— ' kntrol and not n controA. Ii 
the word intrude, the prefix intra must not be used, but in the word 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SHOHT-HAXD. 71 

intrusion the prefix intra should be used, writing it thus ^p. 

499. In words containing no selected prefix, but ending witness, 
that termination ma}' be expressed by *~f ns, instead of writing the 

character n with the qualifying point (a dot.) under it, writing '\* 

for business, instead of S ; but in writing a word commencing 

with a selected prefix and ending with ness, that suffix should be ex- 
pressed by the n character, with the qualifying point over the word as 

in ° ~\j co?i-c\se-iifiss ; d~~\j^j eon-dign-ness, &c. 

500. When the termination a of word may be expressed by any of 
the suffix signs, the plural or possessive case, can be denoted (if neces- 
sary) by converting the qualifying point or dot, into a very short hori- 
zontal or hyphen-like line as in r$~ moments; LP nations or na- 
tion's ; "~ 2 - y 'e>trans-gres-sions ; €> affec-tions or affec-tion's ; o) 
afflictions. 

501. When the letter s is used to express the possessive case, it 
will be found preferable to drop the character immediately below the 
terminal point of the preceding letter. 

502. When any suffix is represented by two of the alphabetical 
signs, as in the case of a, e,f, h, i, 7c, o, u, v, id and sh, (See page 173) 
occurs, use either as may be found most readily joined to the preced- 
ing character. 



Many persons are apt to think that they can write words in long- 
hand as rapjidly as they can learn to write them in stenographic char- 
acters. A greater mistake could hardly be made. This idea holds 
good with the entertainer only so long as he is familiar with one style 
of writing, and is totally ignorant of the other. It is as easy to make 
a motion of the pen or pencil in the formation of a stenographic char- 
acter as it is to write one in chirography or long-hand ; and it must 
be remembered that it frequently requires more motions of the pen to 
lorm a single letter in long-hand than is generally required for a whole 
word in any good system of short-hand. 



TOWNDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 

Prefixes Expressed by Alphabetical Signs. 



503 


A 


1 
7 


Ad van. adven, adver, advo. 


504 


A 


f 

J 

c 


Appel, appli, appre, appro. 


505 


B 


Ab, aber, abbre, abro, abso. 


506 


D 


/> 


Discom, discon, disen, disin 


507 


E 


%. 


Elec, elect, equi, eqniv. 


508 


E 


* 


Efflo, efnu, esti, evi, ever. 


509 


F 


c 


Affec, affect, effec, effect. 


510 


F 




Affirm, affic, afflict, afflu. 


511 


G 


Aggra, aggre agree agri. 


512 


H 


'? N 


Hetero, homo, hydro, hypo. 


513 


I 


°T 


Imper, impre impro, impru. 


514 


I 


0— 

<> 


Incom, incon, incor, incul. 


515 


K 


*? 


Com, comple, compli, compre, compro 


510 


K 


7 


Con, contra, contro, counter. 


517 


M 


<? 


Slagni, matri, multi, muti. 


518 


N 




Enter, inter, intro, intru. 


519 


O 


<r5 


Ob, obli, obsti, omni, ornl. 


520 


O 


<y, 


Obso, octo, oppro, ortho. 


521 


P 


\ 


Per, pre, pri, pro, pru, pur. 


522 


R 


6 


Recom, recon, repre, repro. 


523 


S 


1 

> 


Sub, subter, sup, super. 


524 


T 


Temp, tempt, tran, trans. 


525 


U 


?, 


Ulti, uni, ultra, util. 


52(5 


X 


* 


JExpli, explo, extra, extri. 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITIXG SHORT-HAXD. 73 

Suffixes Expressed by Alphabetical Signs. 



527 

528 

529 

530 

531 
532 
533 
534 
535 
536 



A 
B 

D 

E 

F 
G 

II 

I 

J 
K 



C 

e 



537 


L 


538 


M 


539 


* 1 


540 





541 


P 


542 


Q , 


543 


E 


544 


S 


545 


T 


546 


U 


547 


V 


548 


w 


549 


Y 


550 


Ch 


551 : 


Sh 



/. 

\ 
1 






jact, actly, ally, ance, ancy, ant, antly. 

ble, bled, bleness, bly, bilit3 r . 

dance, dancy, dant,-'ly, dence, dent, diet, duct, 
ence, ency, ent, ently, est, eth, ever. 

feet, fleet, flict, form, formal, ful, fully, 
graph, granee, giant, guish, guist, guage. 
habit, hibit, hend, hensive, hood, 
ify, ity, ety, ical, ically, ish, ism, ist. 
ject, jest, join, journ, judge, just, 
claim, cline, elude, elusive, count, 
lect, lective, lence, lency, lent, lently. 
mand, mend, mence, ment, mental, 
nance, nant, nence, nent, nect, ne?s. 
ody, ogy, oly, omy, ony, opy, ory. 

place, plant, plete, plish, prove. 

I 

quence, quency, quent,-ly, quest, quish. 
jracy, ract, rect, rectly, ranee, rant, 
jscribe, script, stract, strict, struct, suade. 
itinct, tract, trict, trude, tude, tute. 
ous, ousl}*, ousness. 

vail, vict, vive, voke, volve, vu^se. 

ward, wardly, wards, work, worth. 

Lard, iards, ier, ious, uous, (yard.yer, yun. yus). 

chance, chant, change, charge. 

cience, tience cient, tient, cial, sial, rial. 



TOWIsTDROW's TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 

Words Expressed by their Leading Sounds. 



552. Many words not included in the various classes denoted by 
alphabetical characters, and generally known to Stenographers as 
Word Signs, or by Suggestive or Arbitrary Signs,may be advantage- 
ously and legibly expressed by their respective Leading Sounds with- 
out regard to following any other mode of abbreviation. Words thus 
abridged, must however be distinguished as such, by having a short 
line or stroke drawn across the straight or curved stem line of the last 

Vi 
character used, writing **^ eX com — for excom — municate, excom — 

i 
municating or excom — munication v -> intern — for intern — perate, 

intern — peranee, &c; M_ pecu — for pecu — liar, pecu — liarly or 

pecu — liarty, &c, as in the following sentences. Her husband is a 
very intern — [perate] man. Three men were excom— [municated] 
from Church last Sunday. I have spent all the money that was ap- 
pro— [priated] for my use. This do ye in remem— [brance] of me. 
He was placed in a very pecu — {liar] position. The Chief Engineer 
of the Fire Department of Paterson, N. J., in speaking of a large lire 
at that place, remarked in his report "That it was a very pecu — [liar] 
lire, and pecu — [liarly] difficult to manage." The abridged words in- 
tern — [perate], appro — [priated], remem — [brance], excom — [municat- 
ed], pecu — [liar], and pecu — [liarly], will natually and readily occur to 
the reader as those intended by the writer. 



Arbitrary and Suggestive Word Signs. 

553. The three following pages comprise a number of words and 
expressions of frequent occurrence, for which, at least a majority of 
them, special signs of suggestive forms have been assigned to denote 
them, and consequently require but little effort of the memory to put 
them into practical application. They may be used or not by the 
writer, but as they are readily acquired, easily remembered, and 
abridge the labor of writing, their use is strcngl} r recommended, es- 
pecially as their adoption will tend to improve rather than impair the 
legibility of the stenographic manuscript. 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING- SHORT-HAND. 



Arbitrary and Suggestive "Word Signs. 



557 

559 
560 

5G1 
562 
563 
564 

565 

566 

567 
588 
569 

570 
571 

572 



— O 
-I 

< 
a/ 



ret 
@ 



One after another. 
O'er, over. 

Under, underneath. 
Above, above-board. 

Below, beneath. 

After, afterward. 

Before, beforehand. 
Behind, behindhand. 
Behalf, behoof, behoove. 
Ascend, -ed,-ing. 

Along. 

Across. 

About. 

Around. 

Discover,-ed,-lng,-y. 

Recover,-ed,-ing,-y. 

Enclose. -d,-mg, enclosure. 

Encircle ,-d,-ing. 

Surround, -ed,-ing. 

Foreclose, -d.-ing, foreclosure. 



70 TOWNDROw'S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 

Arbitrary and Suggestive Word Signs. 



574 





Nobody, nothing. 




575 


e 


Somebody, something. 




57G 


e 


Through. 




577 


-4~ 


Throughout, 




578 





Earth, earthly, earthliness. 




579 


o 


World, worldly, worldliness. 




580 


f^A 


Christendom. 




581 


+) 


Christmas. 




582 


+^ 


Christian,-!/, Christianity. 




583 


t 


Christ, Christ's. 




584 


■f- 


Christ Jesus. 




585 


f 


Jesus Christ. 




586 


f 


Cross of Christ. 




587 


+ 


Crucify ,-ing, crucifix,-ion 




588 


Insiduous,-ly, insiduousness. 




589 


f 


lntermediate,-ly, intermediation. 




590 


/ 


Amputate,-d,-ing, amputation. 




591 


</> 


Manslaughter. 




592 


A/ 


Moreover. 




953 


/ 


[Inasmuch. 





594 
595 

596 

597 
593 
599 

600 

601 

603 
603 
604 

605 
606 

607 

608 
609 
610 

611 

612 
613 I 



/ 
// 



</ 



h 

f 
x 

■r 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING- SHORT-HAXD. 

Arbitrary and Suggestive "Word Signs. 
Equal, equally, equality. 
Unequal, unequally, inequality. 

Proportion,-able,-ably,-ate,-ately. 

Disproportioii,-able,-ably,-ate,-ately. 
Happy, happily, happiness. 

Within. 

Without. 

Withdraw ,-s, withdrawal, withdrawing. 

Withdrew, withdrawn. 
Inherit.-ed,-s,-ing, inheritance. 
Mediocre, mediocrity. 
Diagnosis, diagnostic. 
International. 

Extraordinary, extraordinarily. 
Eternal, eternally, eternity. 
Everlasting, everlastingly. 
Couch, couched, couching. 

Crouch, crouched, crouching. 
Pouch, pouched, i30uching. 

[Slouch, slouched, slouching. 



TOWNDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 

Legal Terms and Expressions. 



614. Many Legal Terms and Expressions, frequently used in the 
proceedings of the Courts may be denoted by the initial letters or 
sounds with two short lines drawn across such characters or the last 
one, if more than one are used, or by any Arbitrary signs, not liable 
to be construed for a combination of the regular and undistinguished 
Alphabetical Signs, as in the following examples : 



615 


v^AK 


His Honor. 


616 


A 


Your Honor. 


617 


tfTTS 


The Court. 


618 


o$\ 


May it please the Court. 


619 


uHh 


Gentlemen of the Jury. 


620 


4- 


Grand Jury. 


621 


$ 


Learned counsel. 


622 


«4e 


Counsel for plaintiff or prosecution. 


623 


% 


Counsel for defence or defendant. 


624 


k 


Prisoner at the bar. 


625 


4 


Subpoena,-ed. 


626 


> 


Sureties. 


627 


/tf\ 


Habeas Corpus. 


628 


°? 


Indictment quashed. 


629 


^ 


Nolle prosequi. 


630 


rtt 


Motion by. 


631 


9= 


Motion denied. 


632 


r Uh 


Motion granted. 


633 




Motion ruled out. 


634 


/V~» 


Cross-examine,-d,-ation. 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO "WRITING- SHORT-HAXD. 79 

Words That May be Joined. 

635. In order to facilitate the process of writing as much as pos- 
sible, pronouns may be joined with, auxiliary verbs, to the following 
extent ; as no confusion can possibly be experienced thereby ; no 
such combination of characters occurring in the writing of a word. 



I have. I had. I have had. I had had. I have not. 1 had not. 
I have not had. I had not had. lie has. lie had. He has had. He 
had had. They have. They had. They have had. They had had. 
They will have. They would have. 



Poetical Abbreviations. 



636. The poetical abbreviations I'm, thou'rt, you're, we're, they're, 
he's, I'll, they'll, when'er, where'er, &c, may be written as follows — 



Titles or Captions to be Written Plain. 



637. Titles or captions, and sub-captions of all poetical effusions 
and prose writings, as well as compositions on miscellaneous subjects 
should be written very plain, even should it require the use of a few 
more vowel or diphthongal signs, or the doubling of a consonant in 
such words as folly, follow, ferry, marry, tarry, &c. 



Emphasized Words, &c. 

638. Emphasized words and expressions may be readily distin- 
guished by making a waved line, thus - -^-^^ under the same. 



80 TOWXDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 

Numerals. 



639. For numerals, the ordinary figures are the best that can be 
used ; but they must be distinguished from Stenographic characters 
by a simple line drawn over them to prevent confusion that might 
otherwise occur in some cases ; especially where the figure 1 predomi- 
nates. 

640. When it is desired to keep a private account which can be 
understood only by the writer, Stenographic characters may be advan- 
tageously and conveniently substituted. For that purpose, the fol- 
lowing are suggested, 1 j^ I )O\,4/,0 C>6) ^7^,8^/, 
9 *— , £ or \ > $ i or | • Division between dollars and cents 
^^ or °— . These may be transposed in any other order. Let the 
$ mark be placed after and immediately following the figures indicat- 
ing the number of dollars, so that all figures placed to the right of it, 
must be considered as so many cents. When the entries are made in 
a book or a sheet of paper properly ruled for dollars and cents, the 
insertion of the % mark would be superfluous. 



Abbreviations used in Writing and Printing. 

641. Abbreviations commonly used in Writing and Printing, such 
as the names of Countries, States, Titles of Individuals, &c, may be 
used by the reporter in the practice of his profession. A list of these 
can be found in almost every Dictionary of our language. 



Quotations from Ancient and Modern Languages. 

642. Familiar Proverbs, Maxims, Mottoes, Quotations, &c, from 
the Latin, French and Italian may generally be expressed by their re- 
spective initials or leading sounds ; but they must be distinguished 

as such by a mark thus i i placed under the same ; drawing 

the horizontal line out to the full length occupied by the maxim or 
quotation. A full list of such quotations with their respective signifi- 
cations can be found in any good Dictionary. 



COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING SHORT-HAND. 81 

General Remarks. 



643. When the writer fails either to hear or understand a word or 
number of words uttered by the speaker, leave a space for the subse- 
quent insertion of such word or words as may have been omitted, and 
place a caret beneath the space where the omission occurred, thus 

a The context, as a general rule, will indicate the tenor 

of the words omitted, in case they cannot be supplied by the speaker, 
or some friend who had a better opportunity of hearing his remarks. 

644. The student should select some speaker, who utters his words 
with distinctness and deliberation, take notes of his discourses as of ten 
as may be convenient to do so, and invariably transcribe what you 
may have written, and should you fail in your first efforts to note 
down all he said, do not be discouraged, but "Try, try, try again." 
Lose no opportunity of keeping up the practice, and you will soon in- 
crease your rapidity in writing to the extent of five words a minute 
each week, until you find yourself competent to record correctly the 
language of any public speaker. 

645. When a short-hand writer is employed to take down proceed- 
ings in the courts of law, and it is of consequence to report them as 
nearly verbatim as possible, it is desirable to make himself previously 
acquainted with the matter in dispute, which is often so complicated 
as not to be easily understood. By becoming master of the case be- 
forehand, he will be in less danger of falling into mistakes, and will 
more readily comprehend the bearing of what is said. 

646. The smaller the characters can be written, without becom- 
ing indistinct, the more it will promote expedition. 

647. When the learner first attempts to decipher what he has 
written in Short-Hand, the best way is to transcribe it in common hand, 
and when a word is not known at first sight proceed to speak each 
letter separately and distinctly, and then pronounce the whole together, 
and so continue writing and deciphering till in a short time, prac- 
tice and perseverance will make it so completely easy, that he will be 
able to read it without the trouble of transcribing. 

648. When great dispatch is requisite, all stops, except the period, 
may be omitted, leaving a blank, proportioned in size to the length of 
the pause required. 



82 TOWNDROW ? S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 

TRANSLATION OF THE LINES ON THE OPPOSITE PAGE.* 

A Son's Farewell to his Mother. 



Mother — I leave thy dwelling, 
Thy counsel and thy care ; 
With grief, my heart is swelling, 

No more in them to share ; 
Nor hear that sweet voice speaking, 

When hours of joy run high, 
Nor meet that mild eye seeking 

When sorrow's touch comes nigh. 

Mother— I leave thy dwelling, 

And the sweet hour of prayer ; 
With grief my heart is swelling, 

No more to meet thee there. 
Thy faith and fervor, pleading, 

In un-spent tones of love, 
Perchance my soul art leading 

To better hopes above. 

Mother — I leave thy dwelling ; 

Oh ! shall it be for ever ? 
With grief my heart is swelling, 

From thee— from thee to sever, 
These arms that now enfold me 

So closely to thy heart, 
These eyes, that now behold me, 

From all,— from all I part. 



*Xote. Each line of Short-Hand, comprises two lines of the above. 



grant me Heaven a Middle State, 
Neither too humble, nor too great ; 
More than enough for nature's ends, 
With something left to treat my friends. 





in h-^ ^r- 7 . C^ 


°) o^ « 




/ ^"^-^- / b'-^-^ ) -- 


- *v> 


*-y^< 


_^. /-^ <^V~ I ^ , \^ /nf »_• r\ — 


>< 


vX 


Vj^ K_ ^ ^ C 9 C ctt- 


^ ^, 


^ 


<1K^ r*~p <r- c^-, C t/* S e^-j ^s~ „ 




^-\--r ^ ■ -^- H 


v ^, 


«-\ « 


-,. r\ rV~ 1 Hj <S r/ — ^ 


— — ^ k 


-r- 


• <L- * ^ > v /V- -**? c 


>- , 


s/ 


^ ^^ J - c//Y) _x> x 






/ or- ^ ~r-\//-CC 


V. 


(f> 


— ^ rv i ^ , ? — - 6 ; 




-VI 


^ ' **? ^ r «*t, --^- 


^V~. 


— tfl 


« V (a ^/ ?_2 *~~ ^^ 


a 


/ -^" ^ /-k 1 # J L^ # 




^_/ -^ ^ v/ -^ -^ , 






// — ^ v e ^ Y' 






<-n 6) \_ - _J^_ ,-, cY> 





84 TOWNDROW'S TEXT-BOOK OF STENOGRAPHY, OR 

TRANSLATION OF THE CHARACTERS ON THE OPPOSITE PAGE. 

A Mother's Love.* 



There is something in sickness that breaks down the pride of man- 
hood. It softens the heart and brings it back to the feelings of infancy. 
Who that has languished even in advanced life, in sickness and de- 
spondency ? who that has pined on a weary bed in the neglect and 
loneliness of a foreign land, but has thought on the mother that looked 
on his childhood ; that smoothed his pillow and administered to his 
helplessness? Oh! there is an enduring tenderness in the love of a 
mother to a son that transcends all other affections of the heart. It is 
neither to be chilled by selfishness nor daunted by danger, nor weak- 
ened by worthlessness, nor stifled by ingratitude. She will sacrifice 
every comfort to his convenience ; she will surrender every pleasure 
to his enjoyment ; she will glory in his fame, and exult in his pros- 
perity, and should adversity overtake him, he will te dearer to her 
from misfortune ; and if disgrace should steal upon his name, she will 
still love and cherish him ; and if all the world beside cast him off, 
she will be all the world to him. 



Affections, like the conscience, are rather to be led than drawn ; 
and it is to be feared, that they who marry where they do not love, 
will love where they do not marry . 



Pleasure is nothing but the intermission of pain, the enjoyment 
of something we are in great trouble for till we have it. 



*Note. All the words expressed by Special Signs, are comprised 
in the "Key," (page 86) with references to the pages and numbers of 
the Guide, where such signs are to be found. 



1 rf— A > » 
— r>T - C^-| *- ^ - — % € ^* ^ ^ 

^^ t ^ e i ^ ^ c_ /-^ -^_ ^ - /a — / — 



— o — rvx * 






->^ e -d ^/ ^, o— vc 



KEY 

To all the words expressed by Special Signs, arranged in Alphabeti- 
cal Order ; together with the number of the page in the first column, 
the line or paragraph in the second column where such signs are to 
and be found : 

Compiled by Miss Gracte E. Toworow. 



A 


1 


Arbitrary, arbitrate, (fee. 


,57]277 


A, any, alone. 


53173 


Arehitect,-ive,-ure. 


61 


379 


About, abouts. 


75 556 


Are, art. 


55 


157 


Above, aboveboard. 


75 


557 


Aristocracy, aristocrat. 


es 


430 


Accept,-s,-ance,-ing. 


^ 


227 


Around. 


75 


567 


Account,-able,-ing. 


57 


278 


Arraign. 


57 


275 


Aeknowledge,-d,-ing,-ment. 


54 


202 


Art. 


52 


157 


Across. 


75 


565 


Artifice, artificial. 


58 


328 


Aerate,-d,-ing. 


59326 


As. 


52 


157 


Aerification, aeriform. 


59326 


Ascend, -ed,-ing. 


75 


563 


Aerology. 


59327 


Ass-til,-ed, ing,-able. 


63428 


Aerometer, aerometry. 


59327 


Assuage,- ing,-ment. 


57 


276 


Aerostat,-ic. 


61 


377 


At. 


52 


159 


After, afterwards. 


75 


559 


Audacious, audacity. 


61 


382 


Again, against. 


53 


174 


Augur,-ed,-ing,-aL 


59 


330 


Agency, agent,-ship. 


55 


225 


Auspices, auspicous. 


55 


228 


Ah. 


58 


175 


Austere,-ly, austerity. 


59 


331 


Alien, -ablegate, &c. 


55 


224 


Authentic, -a! , -ate, &c. 


61 


381 


All. 


52 


152 


Authority ,-ize, &c. 


55 


229 


Alone. 


53 


173 


Autocracy, autocrat. 


63 


432 


Along. 


75 


564; 


Automatic, -al, -ally. 


63 


433 


Already. 


64 


457 


Avail, -able,-ability,-ing. 


63 


429 


Also. 


33 


178 


Avoid, -able,-ance,-ing. 


55 


235 


Alter,-able,-ing,-ation. 


57 


279 


Awe. 


53 


177 


Alternately, <fec. 


55 


326 


Awhile, while, whilst. 


55 


223 


Although. 


53 


178! 


Awkward,-ly-ness. 


57 


280 


Altogether. 


54 


457! 


Ay, aye. 


53 


175 


Alway, always. 


53 


177 


B 






A.M. 


64 


462 ; 


Bankruptcy, bankrupt. 


02 


397 


Am. 


52 


153 


Be, been. 


52 


142 


Ameliorate,^, -ed,-ing. 


31 


380 


Before, before-hand. 


75 


560 


Amiable, amiability. 


31 


378| 


Behalf, behoof, behoove. 


75 


562 


Among, amongst. 


53 


176! 


Beheld. 


04 


461 


Amputate,-d,-ing,-tion. 


76 


590 


Behind, behind-hand. 


75 


561 


An, and. 


04 


449 


Behold,-s,-ing,-en. 


04 


460 


Anarchy, anarchist. 


63 


431 


Being, being understood. 


64 


454 


Annoint,-s,-ed,-ing. 


63 


439 


Belong,-s,-ing,-ed. 


04 


453 


Annoy,-ance,-ed,-ing. 


}n 


4381 


Be-ow. 


75 


558 


Any. 


53 


173 


Beneath. 


75 


558 


Appoint,-able,-ment. 


55 


234' 


Beneficial, -ly. [ 


38 


295 



KEY TO WORD SIGK^S, &C 



87 



Between, betwixt. 
Boisterous, -ly,-ness. 
Book,-ed,-ing. 
Boom,-ed,-ing. 
Brilliancy, brilliant. 
Brood, -ed,-ing. 
Browse, -d,-ing. 
Brutal ,-ly ,-ity ,-ize. 

By. 

c 

Can, canst. 
Casual,-ly.-ity. 
Catechise, catechism. 
Challenge,-able,-ing. 

Character,-istic'-ize. 
Charge,-able,-ing. 
Charity, charitable. 
Charter,- ed,-ing. 
Chastise, -d,-ing,-ment. 
Chimera, chimerical. 
Christ, Christ's. 
Christendom. 
Christian, -ly ,-ity. 
Christ Jesus. 
Christmas. 
Cogniable. 

Cognizance, cognizant. 
Conscientious,-ly,-ness. 
Constituency, constituent. 
Couch,-ed,-ing,-s. 
Could, couldst. 
Counsel for defendant. 
Counsel for plaintiff. 
Credible,-ness, credibility. 
Cross- exa mi ne,-d,-ation. 
Cross of Christ. 
Crouch,-ed,-ing. 
Crowd,-s,-ed,-ing. 
Crown, -s,-ed,-ing. 
Crucifix, crucifixion. 
Crucify, crucifying. 

D 
Day after to-morrow. 
Delicacy, delicate- 
Destroy ,-ed,-ing. 
Diagnosis, diagnostic. 
Discover,-ed,-ing,-y. 
Discredit,-able,-ing. 



193, 
285 1 
289 
290 
244 
340 
294 
;46 



142 



150 
252 
253 
270 
303 
372j 
219 
423 
321 
304 
583| 
580| 
582! 
584 
581 
354 
354 ! 
355| 
405J 
610; 
151 
823 
fi2 v > 

a 

78634! 
76586; 
76611 
59J344 
59345' 

76:58?; 

76;587i 



467 
245 
183 
605 
568 
296 



Discrepance, discrepancy. 
Disproportion, -able, -ate. 
Dissuade, -d,-s,-ing, &c. 
Divide,-d,-s,-ing. 
Do, does, done. 
Droop,-ed,-ing. 
Drown,-ed,-ing. 
E 

Earth, earthly, earthliness 
Ecstacy, ecstatic,-al. 
Efficiency, efficient,-ly. 
Ejaculate,-d, ejaculation. 
Eleetric,-ian, electricity. 
Elicit,-ed,-ing. 
Ellipse, elliptic,-al. 
Emacia te,-d,-ing,-tion. 
Embroider, -ed,-ing. 
Embroil,-ed,-ing,-ment. 
Employ ,-ing,-ment. 
Encircle,-d,-ing. 
Enclose, -d,-ing, -sure. 
Enjoin,-ed,-s,-ing. 
Enjoyj-ablej-ingj-ment. 
Enlarge, -ing,-ment. 
Equal,-ly, equality. 
Equivocal,-ly, equivocate. 
Especial, especially. 
Espouse,-d,-ing,-al. 
EL cetera, &c. 
Eternal,-ly, eternity. 
Even. 

Ever, every. 
Everlastingyly. 
Evil, evils. 

Exaggerate,-d,-ing,-tion. 
Example, examples. 
Exasperate,-d,-ing, &c. 
Exceed, exceeds. 
Except, excepts. 
Exception,-able,-al,-ing. 
Exclusion, exclusive. 
Execrable, execrate, &c. 
Exhilarate,-d,-ing, &c. 
Exorbitance, exorbitant. 
Expect, expects. 
Explicitly, explicitness. 
Expostulate,-s,-d,-ing. 
Exquisite, exquisitely. 



60347 
77597 



398 
194 
143 
341 
395 

578- 
384 

282 



57281 
63434 



332 
333 
383 
33ft 
3J7 
184 
571 

57a 

387 
388 
456 
594 
230 
231 
435 



64450 



508 
179 
180 
509 

179 



54215 

£2165 
56266 
21164 
D2164 
56267 
58317 
58 318 



00 



368 



60369 
165 



419 

420 



i 54,21 6 



88 



KEY TO WORD SIGNS, &C 



Extraordinary ,-1 y. 
Eve, eyes. 

F 
Facetious,-ly,-ness. 
Familiar, -ly,-ity,-ize. 
Fanatic, -al, -ism, &c. 
Fascinate, -d,-ing,-tion. 
Fastidious,-ly,-ness. 
Father, fatherly. 
Fluctuate,-d,-ing,-tion, 
Fool,-ing-,ish, &c. 
For. 

Foreclose,-d,-ing,-sure. 
Formal,-ly,-ity,-ness. 
Frigid,-ity,-ly,-ness. 
From. 
Frustrate,-d,-ing, &c. 

g 

Gentlemen of the Jury. 
Genuinely ,-ness. 
Gloom,-ily,-ing,-y. 
Glory, glorify, glorious. 
Go, goes, gone. 
God, God's. 
Gradually, graduator. 
Grand Jury. 
Gratuitously, gratuity. 
Grief, grievance, grievous. 

Habeas Corpus. 
Had, hadst. 
Happy, -ly,-ness. 
Has, hast. 
Have. 
He. 

Heaven,-ly. 
Hereditary ,-ly,-ment. 
Hieroglyph,- ic,-ical, &c. 
His Honor. 
History, historic,-al. 
Holy, holily, holiness. 
Horticulture,-al,-ist. 
Hour, hours, hourly. 
Hypochondria, &c. 
Hypocrisy, hypocrite. 
Hypothecate,-d,-ing, &c. 
Hypothetic,-al, &c. 

r. 



248 
392 
197 
146 
138 
350 



78620 
58299 
62401 

'8(627 
52148 
77J598 
52147 
52147 
52148 
54|l93 
56249 



250 
615 
300 



54199 
58|301 
53191 
60351 
60352 
62 402 
62403 
53181 



i77|607!ldeal,-ism, ideality. 
53 181 j Identically, &c. 

| Identify ,-ed,-ing, &c. 
154195! Idiocy, idiot. 
56 246 Idolatry, idolize. 
56!247If. 
58297 I'll. 
58l298| I'm. 

54J196j Imagine,-able,-ing,-ation. 
62399; Immediate.-lyj-ness. 
61 391 In. 
52J144J Inasmuch. 
75 573 Indictment quashed. 
603481 Inequality. 
60J349! Inherit. 
52145 Initiate,-ing,-tion. 
62 : 400 Insidious,-ly,-ness. 

Intermediate, &c. 
78 619 International. 

Irascible, &c. 

[s. 

It, it's, itself. 

Iterate, -ing, &c. 

Itineracy, itinerate. 

Jealous, -y,-ly. 
Jeopard, -ous,-ize. 
Jesuit,-ic-ical. 
Jesus. 

Jesus Christ. 
Journal, -ism,-ize. 
Judge, judges. 
Judicata, judiciary. 
Just. 

K 
Knew, known. 
Know, knows. 
Knowing,-ly, knowledge. 

L 
Languid,-ly, languidness. 
Large,-ly,-est,-ness. 
Learned counsel. 
Legislate,-ing, legislative. 
Legitimacy, legitimate. 
Like, likes. 
Literary, literature. 
Lord, Lord's. 
Loose,-d,-ing. 



571283 
59334 
59334 
57284 
385 
145 
636 
635 
59|335 
55233 
52154 
76593 
78|628 
77595 
77603 
61386 
76J588 
761589 
77^606 
55232- 
52158 
531182 
63437 
63436 



56 251 
58302 
60353 
58138 
76585 
62;404 
52149 
54 j 200 
! 52 149 

'52151 
J52150 
154201 

|56254 
64J455 

78621 
60356 



407 
152 
305 
138 



63,442 



KEY TO WORD SIGNS, &C 



Love,-d,-ing,-ly. 

M 
Malevolence, malevolent. 
Manslaughter. 
May. 

May it please the Court. 
Me. 

Mediocre, mediocrity. 
Measure,-d,-ing,-ment. 
Metaphor,-ic,-ical. 
Meteorology, &c 
Might,-ily, mightiest. 
Miscellany ,-ous. 
Moreover. 
Motion by. 
Motion denied. 
Motion granted. 
Motion rule. 
Much. 

N 
Namely, viz. 
Natural, -ly,-ization 
No. 

Nobody. 
Nolle prosequi. 
Nothing. 

Notify ,-ing,-cation. 
Nourish,-ing,-inent. 
Noxious, -ly,-ness. 
Nutriment, nutrition. 

O 
0, oh, owe. 
Obedience, obedient. 
Objecting, objection, &c. 
Oblige, obligate, &c. 
Obsequious,-ly,-ness. 
Obstruct,-ing,-tion. 
O'clock. 

Oderous, Odiferous. 
Of. 

Off, oft, often. 
Officially, officiate. 
On. 

One, ones, once. 
One after another. 
Only. 

Ooze,-d,-ing. 
Opinion,-ated. 



54|203|iOr. 

|Orient,-al,-alism. 
56{255;Origin r al,-ality. 



60 



591 jOther, (others), otherwise. 
'Our, ours, ourselves. 
Outer, outermost,-ward. 
Outlaw ; -ed,-ing,-ry. 
Outrage, -ing,-ous. 
Over, o'er. 
Owe, owing. 

P 



153 
618 
163 
604 



64458 



357 



62408 

54J204 panegyric, panegyrize. 



306 



78 ! 633 
53J168 

64451 

54 205 

52154 

6574 

8629 
76574 
58307 
56256 
60358 
62409 



Patriot, -ic,-ical. 



592 Peace.-able,-ful, &c. 

630 Period,-ic -ical. 

631 Perpetuate,-ing,-tion. 

632 Pleasure, -able, &c. 
Poison, -ing,-ous. 
Pouch,-ed,-ing. 
Praise, pray, &c. 
Prisoner at the Bar. 
Proof, prove, -ing. 
Proportion,- ablegate. 
Proud, -ly,-er,-est. 
Prowl,-s,-ed.-ing. 

Q 

Quadruple ,-ed ,-ing. 

Qualify, -able, -ing, &c. 

Quantity. 

Quarrel,-ing,-some. 

Questionable, -ing. 
53185'Quiesce, quiescent. 
61J389 Quiet,-ly -ness. 
57288 R 

59J239JRational,-ly,-ity. 
61:390, Reciprocal,-ly, reciprocity. 

Recover,-ed,-ing,-y. 

Reiterate,-ing,-tion . 

Residual, residuary. 

Ritual,-ism,-ist. 
186 S 

237jiSacrifice,-d,-ing. 
154 l[ Sacrilege, sacrilegious. 
449, Shabby,-ly, shabbiness. 
75 554 Shagged,-ness. 
53 185 Shall, shalt. 
55 239tehelf, shelving. 
59338|iSheriff, sheriffalty. 



63441 

64462 

63450 

52144 

53 

55 

52 

64 



52157 
56236 
57'287 
53488 
03192 
571293 
55242 
55'243 
75555 
53J185 

56257 
58308 
54;206 
601359 
62,410 
64459 
57'286 
77J612 
52155 
78624 
63443 
771596 
61 ! 396 
63J446 

60J360 
56258 
52 ! 156 
62'411 
54^207 
58,309 
52456 

54*208 
56259 
75:571 
58310 
60361 
62412 

58311 
56260 
57271 
57272 
53169 
59322 
55:220 



90 



KEY TO WORD SIGN'S. &C 



Should, shouldst. 
Shred, shredding. 
Shre wd,-ly ,-ness. 
Shrive, -d,-ing. 
Shrievalty. 
Shrinkage. 
Shroud, -ed,-ing. 
Shrub, shrubbery. 
Shrugged, shrugging. 
Slouch, -ed,-ing. 
Somebody, something. 
Spirit,-ed, spiritual. 
Subpoena,-ed,-ing. 
Substantiate, &c. 
Such. 
Sureties. 

Surround,-ed,-ing. 
Susceptible, &c 

T 
Tacit,-ly, taciturn. 
Terrestrial ,-ly. 
Territory, territorial. 
Testify ,-ing, testimony. 
r l hank,-ingyful,-ness. 
That. 
The. 

The Court. 
Theatre, theatric,-al. 
Thee, they. 
Theism. 

Theoretic,-al,-ally. 
Theory, theorize. 
They're. 

Thorough,-ly,-ness. 
Through. 
Throughout. 
To. 
Treachery, treacherous. 

U 
Ubiquity, ubiquitous. 
Ulcerate. -ing,tion. 
Ultimate,-d,-ly r ing. 
Ultimatum. 
Ultra,-ism,-ist. 
Unanimous,-ly, &c. 
Under, underneath. 
Unequal, unequally. 
Unison,- ance. 



170 
323 
373 
374 



55221 
551221 
63417 
63424 
63425 

77 613 
76575 
54 209 
78;625 
60362 
53468 

78 626 
75 572 
02 ( 413 

56'261 
58 312 



GO 



363 



54210 



222 
171 



78617 
571273 
531171 
59324 



375 

375 
636 



63426 
76575 
76576 
52159 

62414 

51291 

57J292 
59343 
59343 
61394 
59J342 
75556 
77595 
61393 



Universe,-al,-ally. 

Up, upon. 

Upright,-ly,-ness. 

Upward. 

Urgency, urgent. 

Us. 

Usual,-ly ,-ness. 

Usurp,-ing,-ation. 

V 
Vacillate, -ing,-tion. 
Valiant,-ly ,-ness. 
Valid, -ly, validity. 
Vehemence, vehement. 
Versatile, versatility. 
Very, verily. 
Via.' 

Virtue, virtuous, &c. 
Vitiate,- ing,-tion. 
Vituperate, &c. 
Vivid, -ly.-ness. 
Vouch, ed,-ing,-er. 
Vouchsaf e,-d,- ing. 

W 
Walk,-ed,-ing,-able. 
Warrant,-able,-ing. 
Was. 

Watch ,-ing,-ful. 
We, were. 
We're. 

Wealth, -y, wealthiness. 
Weary,-iy,-ness. 
Wharf,-age. 
Which. 
While, whilst. 
Whimsey, whimsical. 
Whine,-d,-ing. 
Whirl,-ed,-ing. 
Who, whom, whose. 
Whomsoever, whosoever 
Why. 

Wicked,-ly ,-ness. 
Will. 
With. 

Withdraw,-al. 
Withdrawn, withdrew. 
Within. 
Without. 
Wonder,-ing,-ful. 



55240 
53190 
55 241 
53190 
63 ! 445 
52158 
53189 
63444 

ym% 

58|313 
54211 
58 ! 314 
56|263 
52160 
64452 
52161 
54212 
62!415 
62|416 
60J364 
60365 

58 315 
60366 

52|l62 
60367 
521163 
79 636 
56264 
265 



376 

172 
53223 

57273 



59 



325 



63427 
53187 
55238 
j3ll72 
62J417 
J2162 
52162 
77601 
77602 
77 ! 599 
77J600 
62418 



KEY TO WORD SIGNS, &C 



a i 



Workman,-like,-ship. 


54 


218 


Yield, -ing, &c. 


58 


319 


World ,-ly,-liness. 


70 


579 


You, your, yours. 


52 


166 


Worship,-ing,-ful. 


54 


214 


Young,-est,-ish. 


54 


217 


Worthy,-ly, &c. 


58 


316 


You're. 


79 


636 


Would. • 


52 


163| 


Youth,-ful,-fulness. 


02 


421 


Y 




1 


Z 






Ye. 


52 


166 1 


Zeal, zealous, -ly. 


52 


167 


Year, yearly, &c. 


GO 


370 


Zemindar,-y. 


02 


422 


Yeoman, yoemanry. 


56 


268' 


Zinc, zincous. 


00 


371 


Yesterday. 


04 


463 


Zodiac,-al. 


54 


218 


Yesterday afternoon. 


64 


466 


Zoography, &c. 


50 


269 


Yesterday morning. 


04 


464: 


Zoology, &c. 


58 


320 


Yesterday noon. 


04 


465; 
— »-*- 









INDEX. 

Page. 

Title Page, - - , 1 

Dedication to Julius Ensign Rockwell, Esq., - 8 

Introduction or Preface, - - - 5 

Henry J. Lewis, of London, on dotting for Vowels, - 7 
A. H. Thompson and M. Levy, London, on Pitman's Phonography, 9 

Mr. Thomas Andei son on Essentials of a good system, " - 10 
Mr. Thomas Anderson on blunders made by omission of Vowels, 10 

Mr. Geo. R. Bishop, of New York, on Vowel representation, 13 

The beauties of dotting for Vowels illustrated, - 15 
The Author's method of expressing the Vowels and Diphthongs, 20 

1'he Author's abilities as a Reporter acknowledged, - - 21 

Testimonials, - - - - 22 

Opinions on the Utility of Short-Hand, - 29 

" What application will do," 30 

The advantages of having a Teacher, - - 31 

Hints to the Learner, - - - 33 

Materials for Writing, - 33 

About learning the Consonants, - - 34 

How the Consonants are represented, - - - 35 

Directions for joining the Consonants) - - 36 

Mode of Spelling, - - - - 36 

Exposition of the Consonants, - - - 38 

Exposition of the Double Consonants, - - 45 

Exposition of the Vowels and Diphthongs, - - 46 

Application of the Characters when written singly, - 49 

Proper Names to be distinguished, - 51 



92 INDEX- 

Marks of Punctuation, &c, 51 

Words expressed by the Alphabetical Signs, - 52 

Supplementary Word Signs, - - 64 

Repetition of Words, &c, How they are expressed, - 65 

Words of Contrary Signification, - - 65 

Negative Particles, Dis, II, Im, In, Ir, Un, &c, - ■ 66 

Prefixes Circum, Over and Under, - - 66 

Suffixes expressed by Arbitrary Signs, - - 67 

Suffixes ing, ingly, ingness, - - - 67 

Suffixes ceam, don, sion, tion, ceous, tious, - - 67 

Suffixes cision, sician. sition, cfcc, - - - 67 

Suffixes self, selves, ship and ships, - - - 68 

Suffixes lessly, lessness, liness, - - - 68 

Suffixes ly and less, - - - 68 

Suffixes sier, zier, sure, zure, 68 

Suffixes date, tiate, &c, - - - - 68 

Suffixes tual, tuaie, tune, ture,teous,tuous, &c, - 69 

Alphabetical Characters used as Prefixes and Suffixes, - 69 

List of Prefixes expressed by Alphabetical Signs, - 72 

List of Suffixes expressed by Alphabetical Signs, - 73 

Words expressed Dy their respective Leading Sounds, - 74 

About Arbitrary and Suggestive Word Signs, - - 74 

List of Arbitrary and Suggestive Word Signs, - 75 

Legal Terms and Expressions — How expressed, - - 78 

Words that may be Joined, * - - 79 

Poetical Abbreviations, - - - - 79 

Titles or Captions to be written plain, - - 79 

Emphasized Words — How distinguished, - 79 

Numerals, - - - 80 

Abbreviations used in Writing and Printing, - 80 

Quotations from the Latin. French and Italian, - 80 

General Remarks to the Learner, - - 81 

Translation of Specimen 1, 82 

" A Son's Farewell to his Mother,'' &c, Specimen 1, - 83 

Translation of Specimen 2, - - - 84 

"A Mother's Love," Specimen 2, - - 85 

Key to words expressed by Special Signs, - 86 






j££iy 



mm 



i£i« 



m 









ti^tfMtSi ~M'i 




